Resiliency the Japanese way

(Part two)

The Japan Reconstruction Agency has reported that as of April, 22 countries have lifted their import restrictions which were imposed following the Great Earthquake and that since 2016, six countries have lifted the restrictions, while 41 countries/regions have relaxed them.

The import restrictions were imposed on food purchases mainly from the Fukushima Prefecture.

The 22 countries include Canada and Myanmar (lifted June 2011), Serbia (July 2011), Chile (September 2011), Mexico (January 2010), Peru (April 2012), Guinea (June 2012), New Zealand (July 2012), Colombia (August 2012), Malaysia (March 2013), Ecuador (April 2013), Vietnam (September 2013), Iraq and Australia (January 2014), Thailand except for some wild animal meat (May 2015), Bolivia (November 2015), India (Feb. 2016), Kuwait (May 2016), Nepal (August 2016), Iran and Mauritius (December 2016) and Qatar (April 2017).

Among the 41 that have relaxed import restrictions since 2016 are EU, US, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Egypt, Brunei, French Polynesia, Qatar, New Caledonia, United Arab Emirates and Lebanon (March 2017). Those which have relaxed their rules either require government certification or do sample tests or both.

Now, countries and regions are taking action to revise their restrictions, MoFA noted. For those where the import restrictions remain, Japan is asking their respective countries to lift these restrictions based on scientific evidence. China, for instance, banned imports of some Japanese food and agricultural products from 10 prefectures, while South Korea covered four areas of Japan affected by the nuclear crisis. It has been reported that Taiwan has put on hold plans to reopen its market to food from Japanese areas exposed to radiation. Hong Kong prohibits imports of vegetables, fruits and dairy products from five affected prefectures.

Data from the MoFA revealed that as of January, China was still imposing an import ban on rice from 10 prefectures in Japan, while Taiwan banned rice imports from five areas.

As of May 11, 2011 or immediately after the earthquake, the Philippines imposed a ban on rice, vegetable, fruit, tea, and medicinal plant imports from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Miyagi, and Iwate Prefectures and required certificate of pre-export of radionuclides from 13 others. By January this year, only such certificates were required from Fukushima and Ibaraki. For the rest, what was being asked for was a certificate of production place.

For milk and dairy products, the Philippines as of January required only regular inspection from all areas. But immediately after the earthquake, it also banned imports from Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma. The same areas were covered by a Philippine ban on beef, pork and poultry imports. By January this year, certificates of preexport testing of radionuclides was being required from Fukushima and Ibaraki and certificate of production place from others.

For fishery products, as of May 11, the Philippines only required reinforced inspection, meaning lot by lot or sampling inspection at the border of the importing country. By January, it was imposed an import ban in accordance with the restriction of distribution in Japan in the case of Fukushima, as well as preexport testing of radionuclides testing. The same certificate was required from Ibaraki, Tochigi and Gunma. As for other areas, it required a certificate of production place.

As for processed food, from reinforced inspection, the requirement has been reduced to regular imspection.

Hong Kong and Taiwan still ban vegetable and fruit imports from five prefectures as of January, while China and Macau cover 10 areas. For tea, China banned 10 areas, while Taiwan and Korea prohibited imports from five. Singapore still bans tea imports from Fukushima. For medicinal plants, China as of January still bans imports from 10 prefectures, Taiwan five and Singapore one (Fukushima). For milk and dairy, Macau and China prohibited imports from 10 prefectures as of January, while Hong Kong and Taiwan cover five. For beef, pork and poultry, Macau bans imports from Fukushima, while China’s farm covers 10 areas. Taiwan bans from five, while Singapore still does not import from Fukushima. As for fishery products, as of January, among the countries that still impose a ban on imports are Macau and Singapore (Fukushima), China (10 areas), Russia (seven), Taiwan (5), and Republic of Korea (eight). For processed food, China still bans imports from 10 areas and Taiwan, five. Japan insists the prohibition no longer has basis. Agriculture ministers from G7 countries gathered in Niigata last year where they declared that import restrictions should be based on science and should be consistent with WTO rules, including the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement (SPS). (To be continued)

Show no mercy

President Duterte has shown absolutely no mercy in his campaign against corruption, dismissing the likes of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno and Undersecretary Maia Chiara Halmen Valdez of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary on the slightest hint of impropriety.

It is for this reason that people are wondering why there are reports that Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairman Jose Vicente Salazar might be returning to office. It will be recalled that Salazar was earlier placed under preventive suspension for a period of 90 days, following charges of serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, gross insubordination, among other administrative offenses.

Salazar allegedly deceived Malacañang in filing his travel authority and designating somebody without proper authority as officer-in-charge while he was abroad.

Earlier, the President said he would eventually fire Salazar because of corruption. He earlier called on Salazar and other ERC officials to resign last year after ERC director Francisco Villa Jr. committed suicide.

But Duterte knows he cannot fire Salazar and the other ERC officials because the EPIRA Law prescribes terms of office for them that can’t be cut short except for final conviction from a capital crime.

Villa had claimed in a suicide note found by his sister, and our colleague, Charie, that he was under severe pressure from certain ERC officials to rig the bidding for ERC supply contracts.

Power industry players are shaking their heads in disbelief over decisions made by Salazar when he was in office, and they see the unrepentant ERC head as a big headache that President Duterte would have to deal with throughout his entire presidency.

One of the issues raised against Salazar was his questionable approval of power supply contract extensions between a power utility and seven Mindanao-based electric cooperatives, two of which had complained directly to Duterte that they were not even consulted by Salazar and the ERC as to whether or not they favor the supply contract.

Sources revealed that Salazar unilaterally approved the seven power supply contracts without prior review when they should have been approved by the ERC en banc. Realizing later that his directive needed approval of the other commissioners, he asked the body to ratify his decision two months later.

The power supply contract extensions are among those being investigated now by Malacañang as they appeared to be onerous for the power consumers serviced by the seven electric cooperatives.

The ERC is mandated under EPIRA to protect consumers. While it is unfortunate that the President cannot fire Salazar and the other commissioners right away, the investigations into these allegations should continue, and who knows what other skeletons hiding in the closet these inqiuiries might reveal.

For comments, e-mail at philstarhiddenagenda@yahoo.com