THE Department of Energy (DOE) said it will meet with oil industry players to talk about the feasibility of providing as much as 30 percent per liter discount for fuel items sold to all registered farmers and fisherfolk in the country.
Felix William Fuentebella, DOE undersecretary, told reporters in a virtual briefing Wednesday said the move will benefit both the oil companies and the agriculture sector, which bought P15 trillion worth of fuel products last year.
Fuentebella said the DOE is also pushing for effective use of renewable energy in the agriculture sector, especially for post-harvest facilities, irrigation and other farm machineries.
“The approach will be renewable energy efforts for the medium and long term then fuel discount for the immediate term,” he said.
Bong Suntay of CleanFuel and former president of the Independent Philippine Petroleum Companies Association, said the oil industry players would meet and discuss the request of the DOE.
Vic Dimagiba, Laban Konsyumer Inc. president, said the DOE’s initiative is a welcome relief but noted that other vulnerable sectors should also be identified so that a uniform discount policy may be offered to all.
