A farmers’ group said the government seemed to have failed to protect local farmers and consumers due to the implementation of Executive Order 62, which lowered the tariff on imported rice to 15 percent.
AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones contends that the tariff reduction has not led to significant price decreases for consumers, as intended.
Instead, it has allegedly fueled rice smuggling and hoarding.
“Rice should be priced between P41 to P45 per kilo due to the lower tariff. However, some traders are exploiting the situation,” Briones said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) echoes this sentiment in a recent Congressional hearing, asserting that the primary beneficiaries of EO 62 are importers and traders, not consumers.
The government also suffered significant revenue losses, estimated at P12 billion, which could have been used to support farmers and fisherfolk, according to the Bureau of Customs during the same hearing last week.
To address these issues, Briones proposes revoking the tariff reduction and returning it to the previous 35 percent rate.
He has also called on the DA to namedrop the top 10 rice importers in the country to investigate potential cartel activity, profiteering, hoarding, and smuggling.
The recent seizure of 21 containers of smuggled frozen mackerel, worth P178.5 million, further highlights the need for stricter enforcement of agricultural laws. Briones, a principal author of the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, believes that the importer, Pacific Sealand Foods Corporation, may have violated this law.
The lawmaker and law enforcement agencies, including the NBI, PNP, Coast Guard, and DoF, are investigating the individuals involved in the mackerel smuggling incident.
Briones emphasizes the importance of imposing severe penalties, including non-bailable imprisonment and hefty fines, on those who engage in such activities.
