Press Release
January 25, 2011

BONG REVILLA DIGS INTO ROAD BOARD

The Senate Committee on Public Works, led by its Chairman, Ramon Bong Revilla, Jr., today continued its inquiry into the Road Board and the Motor Vehicle Usage Charge (MVUC) or Road Users' Tax under its charge.

The inquiry was initiated by the Committee after questions surfaced on how the MVUC was being utilized. It can be recalled that Senators, including Bong Revilla, sought more transparency from the Road Board on how the funds from the road users' tax were being disbursed. "Napakalaking halaga ng pondong ito. Marapat lang na malinawan kung paano ito ginagasta ng gobyerno at kung saan-saan ito talaga napupunta," Bong Revilla said.

Other than how the funds are utilized, Bong Revilla also pushed for amendments in Republic Act (RA) No. 8794, the law which imposed the Motor Vehicles User's Charge (MVUC), in order to improve enforcement and fund use. The amendments being reviewed by his committee are additions to the existing road board that has jurisdiction over the projects to be funded by MVUC proceeds, load limitations, and tax exemptions for specific motor vehicles such as electric vehicles, passenger motorcycles and other public utility vehicles. Of these, Revilla said the committee is giving particular importance to the distribution of the proceeds so that infrastructures outside the metropolis can be made to benefit more.

Currently, only 5% of the total fund is allocated to the Special Local Road Fund for the maintenance of local roads. Meanwhile, only 30% of the 80% Special Road Fund (24% of the total MVUC Fund), is allocated and used for the maintenance, and improvement of drainage, of secondary roads throughout the country, with great priority being given to national roads.

Bong Revilla also wants the MVUC to be ready to allocate funds for infrastructure rehabilitation after calamities and catastrophes. "We are studying the means by which we can institutionalize some-sort of emergency infrastructure rehabilitation fund source," he said. "Maybe the MVUC Fund can be this source."

"These funds will sustain us to build infrastructure that will respond to the needs of the 21st century," he said, adding that "while we do not have control of natural calamities, we do have control of improving our infrastructure. It is about time that we have a smart system of rebuilding if and when the need arises."

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