Yet another SMS tax scheme?

From the Inquirer:

Under House Bill 4863 or “An act imposing a 50-centavo specific tax on the economic activity of SMS, creating a special infrastructure fund for specific public works projects, and for other purposes,” Pangasinan Representative Mark Cojuangco wants tariff that will be “separate and distinct” from the income and value added tax, which a cellular phone company remits or pays to the [BIR].

Not exactly new news, since the congress.gov.ph profile says the bill is Pending with the Committee on WAYS AND MEANS since 2005-03-17.

Further, according to the bill,

80 percent of all revenues generated from this tax would be used exclusively for the acquisition of right-of-way to be used for national government projects — roads, bridges, flood control, and drainage systems — while the remaining 20 percent would go to the civil works in the construction of these infrastructures.

Come on. We consumers have still to face the burden of the Expanded Value Added Tax, which shall start this November. And stop pulling our legs with the “earmarking” clause–we’re not falling this anymore. How many projects with “earmarked” funding are the government doing successfully?