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Fight the Text Tax!
by TxtPower
Tuesday, Jul. 13, 2004 at 11:53 PM
We hold the government accountable for burdening the already struggling consumer with anti-people taxation policies and the telephone companies for prioritizing profit generation rather than offering more affordable telecommunication services.
We, the millions of Filipino texters, deplore the series of attempts to further burden us via the imposition of a tax on "texting". This proposed tax is one of government's planned solutions to the budget deficit besetting the country.
The Short Messaging System (SMS) or texting, is a built-in feature of the GSM technology (Global System for Mobile Communications). In 1993, as the GSM technology was being introduced, texting was a free feature offered with (the cellular phone technology) the voice call technology.
Filipinos adapted well to the technology and quickly learned to use the free SMS feature to communicate fast and efficiently. In no time, texting became a medium of communication for many Filipinos—OFWs communicating with families & friends, students with their parents, professionals working on the field and so on. To impose a tax on texting is therefore anti-people.
In 2001, telephone companies eager to cash in on the millions of text messages being sent in a day reduced to 30 or 33(depending on the service provider) the initial 100 free text messages and attempted to eliminate this altogether. Consumer uproar and a subsequent "text boycott" prevented the telcos from eliminating free text messages.
The recent gross election spending pushed the budget deficit to an all-time low, triggering a financial crisis. The budget deficit, now more than P200 billion at the end of 2003, has made the government desperate for funding.
All around, prices of basic commodities had gone up. Fare hikes and the impending increases in electricity and water rates are all burden to the consumer. Even though the government has temporarily suspended its plan to tax SMS messages, government agencies like the NEDA are still "studying" the possibility of implementing such a plan. We therefore believe that the government will push through with taxing SMS messages once consumers lose their vigilance.
We, the undersigned, therefore declare our opposition to any more moves to further impose any kind of tax or fees on text messaging. We hold the government accountable for burdening the already struggling consumer with anti-people taxation policies and the telephone companies for prioritizing profit generation rather than offering more affordable telecommunication services. We shall stand to oppose any moves to further short-change consumers of their right to affordable, fast and efficient telecommunication services.
Signed:
Trixie Concepcion
eiiphils@tri-isys.com
Dr. Giovanni Tapang
g_tapang@yahoo.com
Ricardo Bahague, Jr.
rbahaguejr@yahoo.com
Anna Celestial
gabochini@yahoo.com
Emil Cinco
ecinco@i-manila.com.ph
EFMBosito
eloytski@yahoo.com
TXTPOWER is sending out this sign-on regarding the undying moves of the gov’t to tax texting. Please circulate far and wide, and urge those who believe the cause to sign on. In the sign on, we are asking for your contact information so we maybe able to contact you regarding the future activities of TXTPOWER.
We also need your help to send us back this list everytime an additional 50 people has signed on. So, if you would be #50,#100,and so on, please email the list back to us at agham@tri-isys.com or eiiphils@tri-isys.com
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