The Confederation of Truckers Association of the Philippines (CTAP) has asked the government for fuel subsidies, as pump prices continue to rise.
In a news statement, CTAP President Maria Zapata said the group “is now coordinating” with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) “for the possible extension of fuel subsidies to its hard-pressed members.”
She said the group has “already submitted a list of their members to the DTI as well as the number of trucks they are operating.”
Fuel makes up for as much as 60 percent of the expenses of a trucking business.
Domestic pump prices have been on an uptrend in 13 out of the past 16 weeks, which the Department of Energy has attributed to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, along with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions in China, which have driven demand.
The latest data available from the Department of Energy indicate that adjustments stand at a net increase of P15.45 per liter for gasoline, P27.35 per liter for diesel, and P21.55 per liter for kerosene as of April 19.
Earlier, the government released fuel subsidies of up to P6,500 each to some 115,000 public utility drivers and operators amid the spiraling prices of oil and petroleum products.
Zapata said she hopes that the “government will eventually recognize the need to grant subsidies to the trucking industry, similar to the policies in other Asean countries, as they are part of the logistics chain.”
Unlike in other countries, Zapata said trucking is still treated as “a commercial activity and not as a public utility.”