Food imports, target na subsidiya para pagaanin ang inflation sa Pinas

SINABI ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. na ang food importation para dagdagan ang suplay at  targeted subsidies  sa mga  “most vulnerable sectors” ay makapagpapagaan sa mataas na  global inflation na lumigwak na sa Pilipinas.

“We have a comprehensive set of interventions to effectively balance the need to sustain growth momentum while containing inflationary pressures and their cascading effects on the economy,” ayon Kay Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno sa idinaos na puling ng  G20 finance ministers at central bank governors.

Bagama’t hindi kasali ang Pilipinas sa G20 grouping ng world’s economic giants, inimbitahan naman si Diokno bilang bisita ng  Indonesia, host country ng  meeting ngayong taon.

“To  keep food prices accessible,  the government wanted to increase agricultural output while sustaining importation of certain commodities like corn, pork, and rice, at lower tariffs under ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) No. 171 effective until this year’s end,” ayon kay Diokno.

“Also, “targeted subsidies have been allocated to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on the public transport sector,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

Para sa taong kasalukuyan, ang nakalipas na administrasyon ay naglaan ng  P47.5 bilyong piso bilang financial aid sa mga labis na tinawagan ng sumirit na presyo ng langis, P41.4 bilyong piso sa unconditional cash transfers sa mga pinakamahihirap ng populasyon, P5 bilyong piso  fuel subsidies para sa mga drivers at operators ng public utility vehicles (PUVs) at P1.1 bilyong piso sa  fuel discounts sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda.

“To date, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already released P16.7 billion of these subsidies, funded by windfall from the incremental import duties and taxes being collected from costly fuel. But with the economy expected to fully recover by the middle of this year, these subsidies would no longer be given next year,” ang pahayag ni Diokno. (Daris Jose)