Importation, Free of Duties, of Liquefied Petroleum Gas as Emergency Measure

February 13, 1979 PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1609 AUTHORIZING AS AN EMERGENCY MEASURE THE IMPORTATION, FREE OF DUTIES, OF LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS WHEREAS, there is a present shortage in the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the country and this problem is expected to become even more pressing and burdensome for our people, particularly the consumers, in the coming months, due to a combination of several factors; acd WHEREAS, among the factors cited for the bleak forecast on the situation involving the aforesaid petroleum product in the domestic market are the fact that the normal production of the refineries has been inadequate to meet the local requirements for liquefied petroleum gas since 1974 and this deficiency has been exacerbated by the increased demand for the said product particularly in December last year; the fact that some of the refineries are scheduled for a temporary shut down in the next few months and such an event would adversely affect the available supply of LPG in the country; the fact that any importation now of the said product can only be done at the increased cost resulting from the price adjustments imposed by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries effective January 1, 1979; and the fact that many of the intermediaries engaged in the marketing and distribution of the said product are likewise encountering difficulties due to the shortage problem; acd WHEREAS, to provide for a temporary relief from the pressures generated by the aforesaid problem and in order to spare the consumers from unnecessary hardships and inconveniences, it is deemed necessary to exempt, for a limited period, the importation of liquefied petroleum gas from the payment of customs duties; NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree the following: SECTION 1. Any provision of law, executive or administrative order, rule or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding, the importation, free from customs duties, of liquefied petroleum gas, by persons or entities duly authorized by the Board of Energy, shall be allowed for the duration of the critical period or until local prices shall have been adjusted. aisa dc SECTION 2. This Decree shall take effect immediately. DONE in the City of Manila, this 13th day of February, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Nine. Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 75 No. 53, 10577-1 Supp., on December 31, 1979.