A VISAYAN lawmaker on Monday denounced the Department of Trade and Industry’s plan to do away with the suggested retail price scheme for basic necessities, calling it “anti-poor.”
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, House committee on banks and financial intermediaries chairperson, said lifting the SRP would legitimize businessmen to rake in more profits at the expense of comsumers.
Evardone said the DTI must take a second look at its idea to scrap the mechanism prior to approval before adjusting the SRP of prime commodities.
“The DTI should scrap its plan to remove SRP. Consumers will suffer the most once it gets implemented,” Evardone said, referring to the DTI draft order allowing manufacturers to determine the prices of goods without government having to approve the SRP.
This, the DTI said, would encourage competition so that firms are compelled to lower their rates to the advantage of consumers.
“This will enable the manufacturers and traders to reign in the prices of their products. It is simply anti-poor and anti-people,” he added.
He also warned that the DTI, which is supposed to uphold the rights and welfare of consumers, will face people’s wrath as consumers will look at their plan as an act of favoring the interests of the manufacturing industry instead.
“Instead of promoting competition, the removal of SRP will be used as a tool to increase the prices of basic goods. They should think twice or face people’s wrath,” Evardone said.
Evardone also expressed serious doubts that the move of DTI will promote competition.
The manufacturing sector has rallied behind the DTI proposal aimed at cutting the red tape in the process of putting the prices of basic goods.
The research group Ibon said scrapping the SRP was a form of deregulation where the government reneges on its responsibility to regulate the price of basic goods and protect consumers.
