Do you think the hikes in VAT, oil and electricity prices are necessary? (May 19-26, 2001) Yes 13.9% 87 No 79.6% 499 Unsure 6.5% 41 Total 100% 627

In a bid to cover the widening, massive budget deficit, the government recently announced it would increase the price of oil by 30 percent and hike electricity rates by 20 percent starting June 15. And value added tax (VAT) is to jump from 10 percent to 12.5 percent on July 1. With these measures, say