Directing And Authorizing All Heads Of Departments, Bureaus, Commissions, Agencies, Offices And Instrumentalities Of The National Government, Including Government-Owned And/or -Controlled Corporations (Goccs), To Rationalize The Rates Of Their Fees And Charges, Increase Their Existing Rates And Impose New Fees And Charges

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Administrative Order No. 31

Rationalization of Rates (Section 1):
- Heads of government departments, bureaus, commissions, agencies, offices, and instrumentalities, including GOCCs when allowed by their charters, are directed and authorized to:
    - Rationalize the rates of their existing fees and charges.
    - Increase existing rates if found necessary.
    - Impose new fees and charges if found necessary.

Guiding Principles (Section 2):
- In determining rates and imposing new fees and charges, a balance must be sought between:
    - Recovering the costs of services rendered.
    - The socio-economic impact of their imposition.

Implementation (Section 3):
- Heads of government agencies shall be held responsible for implementing this Administrative Order.

Monitoring (Section 4):
- The Task Force on Fees and Charges created under Administrative Order No. 255 (s. 1996) and reactivated by Executive Order No. 218 (s. 2002) shall monitor compliance of the concerned agencies.

Rules and Regulations (Section 5):
- The Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), and NEDA shall jointly promulgate rules and regulations to:
    - Implement and monitor compliance with this Administrative Order.
    - Provide parameters for determining just and reasonable rates.
    - Provide safeguards to protect the public from unreasonable and arbitrary fees and charges.

Statutory Requirements (Section 6):
- This Administrative Order shall not be construed as an exemption from the requirements of due process and other requirements set forth by existing laws and regulations.

Repeal (Section 7):
- Memorandum Circular No. 137 (s. 2007) is hereby repealed.
- All presidential issuances, administrative rules and regulations, or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Administrative Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Separability (Section 8):
- If any provision of this Administrative Order is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the other unaffected provisions shall remain valid and subsisting.

Effectivity (Section 9):
- This Administrative Order shall take effect immediately.