PRDD asked to veto rice tariffication bill

LAGAWE, Ifugao -About 40 members of the Confederation of Grains Retailers (GRECON), Ifugao Chapter along with employees of the National Food Authority (NFA) are asking President Rodrigo Duterte to veto the rice tariffication bill.

In a protest rally in this town against Senate Bill 1998 or the Rice Tariffication Bill on February 14, the group asked the President to veto the bill and junk also the bills abolishing the NFA.

The rice tariffication bill is a measure that will allow unimpeded importation of rice, amending the Agricultural Tariffication Act of 1996 and replacing the quantitative restriction on rice imports.

GRECON – Ifugao Chapter President Jose Mondiguing said the group opposed the measure because of its effect to rice consumers.

“We are opposing the passage of this bill because there will be no cheap rice like the NFA rice. All will be commercial rice in the market with unaffordable prices,” he said.

NFA – Ifugao Manager Heidy Pasion said the bill if approved, will deprive the grain agency of its regulatory powers and the role to import rice will be given to private traders or companies upon securing the necessary permits and payment of pay 35 percent tariff .

“The NFA will be hard-up in controlling price increase in the market if we don’t have the stabilization function,” she said.

The move however may fall on deaf ears even as President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday signed the rice tariffication bill into law.

Duterte earlier asked Congress to deem the measure's passage urgent.

Various government agencies cited the gains of the law's signing, such as giv-

ing farmers additional resources, reducing the price of rice, and lowering inflation significantly.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia earlier said the enactment and full implementation of the law can bring down the prices of rice, benefitting Filipino families.

Senator Cynthia Villar earlier stressed that the rice tariffication measure would enhance the competitiveness of Filipino farmers rather than kill the local rice industry, as claimed by some progressive lawmakers and peasant groups. At least 10 business organizations have expressed their support for rice tariffication.