Binay wants P2.3-B ‘sin tax’ take channeled to immunization budget

from The Daily Tribune
http://www.tribune.net.ph/metro/20100303met1.html

As the number of those downed by measles in the country rose to almost 1,000 in the first 50 days of the year, Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay yesterday called for an increase in the government’s annual budget for immunization by tapping revenues from so-called sin taxes.

Binay said a provision in Republic Act 9334, the 2005 law which raised tax rates on alcohol and tobacco products, earmarked a portion on annual collections for health spending but the Arroyo administration has not been complying with this provision.

“Unfortunately, health groups are complaining that the Arroyo administration has not been complying with this provision. Ironically, the administration dangled the provision on allocations for health as a sweetener in baiting Congress to okay its proposal for higher ‘sin tax’ rates,” Binay said.

In 2008, the sin tax take of the government went up to P47 billion, or by 17.92 percent, from P42.2 billion in 2007. Of the total, tax from tobacco products reached P27.35 billion while that on alcohol products amounted to P19 billion.

“If government just automatically channeled five percent of this collection to immunization, DoH (Department of Health) would have gotten P2.3 billion for kid vaccines instead of the P960 million that it begged from Malacañang which was probably reluctant in giving it,” Binay said.

“The measles outbreak is an indication of gaps in the immunization drive. People would not have been sick if they have been inoculated in the first place,” Binay said.

Considering the size of the population to be vaccinated against a host of diseases, Binay called DoH’s P960-million budget this year for immunizations and vaccines “sorely inadequate.”

“Do the math. There are 2.6 million children below one year of age who must get their shots this year. Add the 3.2 million pregnant women who need to be immunized as well. The budget clearly cannot suffice,” Binay said.

Binay’s comment is backed by the DoH menu of immunizations that shows the cost of each and proves the inadequacy of the fund allocations.

For the anti-tuberculosis BCG shot, the cost per vial is P92 while for DPT (diphtheria-pertussis-tenanus) is priced at P128 per vaccine. Oral polio vaccine is pegged at P148 each.

Other per unit costs are: Measles (P91); hepatitis B (P110); tetanus toxoid (P45); MMR 10 or measles-mumps-rubella (P412), and DPT-Hepa B-Hib 10 (P1,056).

Binay said tapping revenues from so-called sin tax — the excise tax levied on alcohol and tobacco products — would give the public immunization budget “a needed shot in the arm.”