Hike in petroleum tariff seen ill-advised, untimely.

(From Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Byline: Abigail L. Ho

THE VOLATILITY of current world oil prices makes the government's move to raise the tariff on imported crude and re fined petroleum products at this time "ill-advised,'' says think tank Ibon Foundation.

Ibon executive director Rosario Bella Guzman pointed out that the tariff hike was very much ill-timed as prices of crude and finished products in the international market had been going up these past weeks.

She warned of the inflationary implications of such a move.

"We are surprised that the (Cabinet-level Tariff and Related Matters) would even make such a proposal at a time …