Senior citizens get discounts on more goods

SENIOR CITIZENS will now be able to get a 5% discount on more food and basic items after the Agriculture and Trade departments tagged additional commodities other than those mentioned under Republic Act 9994 or the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010.

The Agriculture department, in a statement issued yesterday, said firewood, charcoal and candles had been identified as basic necessities. Diapers; feed and veterinary products for poultry, swine and cattle; construction materials such as nipa shingles, plyboard and nails; steel wires; electrical supplies; light bulbs; and batteries were classed as prime commodities.

Joint Administrative Order 10-02 was issued last Oct. 15 by Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala and Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo. It was published in a newspaper last Oct. 17 and took effect immediately.

“Each senior citizen can enjoy the 5% discount on said food and prime commodities, which however are not exempted from the value-added tax,” the Agriculture department said.

Senior citizens are defined as any Filipino citizen aged 60 years old or above who is a resident of the Philippines.

Under the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Expanded Senior Citizens Act, the basic necessities refer to “rice, corn, bread, fresh, dried and canned fish and other marine products, fresh pork, beef and poultry, meat, fresh eggs, fresh and processed milk, fresh vegetables, root crops, coffee, sugar, cooking oil, salt, laundry soap, detergents, and drugs classified as essential by the Department of Health (DoH).”

Prime commodities include “fresh fruits, flour, dried, processed and canned pork, beef and poultry, meat, dairy products not falling under basic necessities; noodles, onions, garlic, and all drugs not classified as essential drugs by the DoH.”

The IRR allows for the inclusion of “other commodities as maybe classified” by the Trade and Agriculture departments. — Kathleen A. Martin, Businessworld