DA working to implement rice tariffication law – Piñol
Credit to Author: EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ| Date: Tue, 26 Feb 2019 16:32:18 +0000
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday it was doing everything necessary to ensure that Republic Act 11203, or the Philippine Rice Tarrification Act, would have a “smooth” implementation after a lawmaker accused the agency of delaying it.
“There is no truth to the allegation by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian that the [DA] is delaying the implementation of the Rice Tariffication and Liberalization Law signed recently by President [Rodrigo] Duterte,” Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said in a statement.
His denial came after Gatchalian urged the DA in a DzBB radio interview to “cooperate fully in implementing the law,” adding that “he (Piñol) must work for the success of the law, even if he’s against it.”
“Contrary to the claim of Senator Gatchalian, the DA is, in fact, facilitating the conduct of [a] nationwide information campaign and consultations to explain to rice-industry stakeholders what the law is all about,” Piñol said.
“These consultations are needed in the formulation of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR), which are [required] before the rice tariffication law could be effective,” he added.
The consulations with rice farmers began on Tuesday and will end on Friday.
RA 11203 replaces the country’s rice-importation quota system with tariffs. Under the measure, in- and out-quota imports from members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean) will be levied a uniform 35-percent duty.
Besides the Philippines, other Asean members are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
A 40-percent tariff will be imposed on shipments from non-Asean members within the minimum access volume of 350,000 MT, rising up to 180 percent for out-quota imports.
As a result of the tariffication of the rice quota, the government expects to generate an additional P10 billion in tariff revenue, which is expected to be allocated to rice farmers, who will be negatively affected by the expected inflow of cheaper rice imports.
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