Gatchalian urges easy access to VAT-exempt medicines for consumers

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has urged drugstores and medicine retailers to ensure that medicines exempted from value-added tax (VAT) are easily accessible to consumers.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently endorsed an additional 17 medicines for VAT exemption, including eight for diabetes, four for cancer treatment, and three for mental illness.

According to Gatchalian, this expansion of the list would increase the number of consumers who would benefit from the VAT-free provision under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act.

Gatchalian emphasized that since many Filipinos are still reeling from high prices of prime commodities, it is important for the government to provide support for those suffering from common illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) rules state that the latest VAT exemptions took effect on November 25, making this the sixth update to the list this year.