The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) said it would continue to supply the government with information regarding possible cases of agricultural smuggling after the administration signaled a renewed interest in tackling the problem.
In an interview on Tuesday, FPI chairman Jesus Arranza said that years ago, their group had provided the previous administration with information on a major rice smuggling operation, but although an investigation was opened, the matter appears to remain unresolved.
He welcomed the incumbent leadership’s invigorated impetus to address the persistent problem of agricultural smuggling, which, he stressed, is detrimental to local growers.
“The Philippines remains an agricultural country… if you wreak havoc [through smuggling] on the agricultural sector, you are committing economic sabotage. They [smugglers] are driving local farmers out of business,” he told the Manila Standard.
Arranza, also president of the Coconut Oil Refiners Association (CORA), also thanked President Marcos for putting an end to the illicit importation of palmolein oil in an apparent response to the complaints of domestic industry stakeholders.
The FPI chair pointed out that it was only under the current administration that inroads were made to control the technical smuggling of palmolein, which unscrupulous traders imported with tax perks in the guise of being used as animal feed additives.
“We [the FPI] are glad to see that the government is taking the fight against smuggling, be it of agricultural or non-agricultural goods, very seriously. Our group is always willing to cooperate… eliminating smuggling helps ensure the survivability of local industries,” he noted.
FPI is touted as the voice of the Philippine manufacturing sector, whose membership includes food and beverage, automotive, textiles, steel, construction materials, and energy companies, among others.
