NFA clarifies alleged P115-K retailing fee

The National Food Authority (NFA) clarified that the agency charges only a minimum of P165 to a maximum of P11,000, depending on capitalization for a rice retailer’s license, not the atrocious amount of P115,000.00 quoted by Senator Win Gatchalian as the license fee for supermarkets to sell NFA rice.

Gatchalian was quoted by media as saying that “the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (Pagasa) revealed that the NFA is requiring retailers with a paid-up capital of P10 million to pay P115,000 for a permit to sell rice.”

NFA Central Office management checked with NFA-NCR branch if there was anyone who was assessed with such amount for license to retail and found out there was none. “In fact, supermarkets that were already licensed to retail rice before the signing of our MOA didn’t need to pay additional fees,” NFA-NCR said.

NFA is empowered by law, through Presidential Decree No. 4, to collect of fees from grains businessmen for different lines of business like retailing, wholesaling, milling, warehousing, among others.

Based on the NFA rules on licensing, application fee for single-line business is only P110.00 while multi-line business application fee is only P165.00. Additional fee for license to retail depends on capitalization. Retailers with capitalization up to P10,000.00 are only charged with P165.00 while the maximum is P11,000.00 for retailers with capitalization of more than P1,000,000.

The NFA said they were surprised by the statement of the senator since the owners of the supermarkets never raised the issue when they had a meeting, together with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) allowing the members of Pagasa to sell NFA rice in their groceries.

Last September 19, NFA signed a tripartite MOA with the DTI and the PAGASA for members of PAGASA to sell NFA rice in addition to the existing accredited outlets in public markets. The issue on license fees was never discussed.

NFA district offices in Metro Manila processed the applications from member-supermarkets of PAGASA for license to sell NFA rice.

At present, four supermarkets are already selling NFA rice, namely, Daily Supermarket, San Roque Supermarket, GL Del Monte Supermarket, and JC Supermarket.

Each supermarket is allotted 50 bags of NFA rice sold at either P27 or P32 per kilogram. Consumers can now buy affordable NFA rice at supermarkets in twokilogram packs.