Pansamantalang rice tariff cut na 0-10%, no toll hikes para sa agri-trucks, ipinanukala ng DoF

NAGPANUKALA  ang Department of Finance (DOF) ng ilang hakbang sa gitna ng  pagpapatatag sa presyo ng bigas.

Isa itong sitwasyon para mapilitan ang pamahalaan na magpatupad ng  “unprecedented price control” sa nasabing produkto.

Sinabi ni Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, kailangan na i-adopt ng gobyerno ang isang comprehensive approach para makatulong na masiguro na ang suplay ng bigas ay mananatiling sapat sa tinapyasang halaga.

Dahil dito, ipinanukala ng DOF ang “the reduction of the 35% rice import tariff rates, both ASEAN and MFN [most favored nation] rates, temporarily to 0% or maximum of 10% to arrest the surge in rice prices.”

Winika ng Kalihim na ang bigas ang  pinakamalaking contributor sa inflation, binigyang diin ang pangangailangan na ipanukala ang  tariff reduction para sa  rice imports.

“Inflation, or the rate of increase in the prices of consumer goods and services, accelerated to 5.3% in August, faster than the 4.7% rate seen in July,” ayon kay Diokno.

“Usually ang reduction is one year and puwede naman i-extend,” dagdag na pahayag nito sabay sabing duration o tagal ng pansamantalang  pagtapyas sa  rice tariffs ay  magiging “subject” pa rin sa serye ng pagdinig.

Ang tariff cut aniya ay maaaring ipatupad nang paunti-unti, subalit may posibilidad na puwede itong isang “outright full rate reduction.”

“May proposal na it should be gradual… e kung drastic ‘yung price increase, then pwede drastic yung [tariff cut]… d’i naman necessarily bad ang drastic,” aniya pa rin.

Ukol naman sa magiging epekto ng panukalang tariff cut sa local rice farmers, sinabi ni Diokno na “In government, you think of the greatest good for the greatest number. Sino ba mas madami? Madami ‘yung consumers kesa sa farmers.”

Hindi na aniya kailangan ang batas para sa temporarily cut tariffs.

“Puwede mo lang i-adjust pagka Congress is not in session. That’s the Constitutional provision,”  ani Diokno.

“We have to wait for the recess…Magre-recess na sila sa October,” lahad nito.

Sa kabilang dako, nakikipagtulungan naman ang DoF  sa tollway concessionaires at operators “for the temporary exemption of trucks that cater to agricultural goods from the increase in toll fees.”

Ayon kay  Finance Undersecretary Zeno Abenoja na pumayag na ang tollway operators  sa nabanggit na panukala.

“The private concessionaires, they agreed with the proposal. They’re just trying to define the guidelines on how to identify these delivery trucks,” ani Abenoja.

Nilinaw ni Diokno na ang exempted lamang ay ang toll increase, ibig sabihin, ang mga  trucks na  ginagamit ng agriculture sector ay magbabayad pa rin ng  toll fee sa umiiral sa  rates  bago ang kamakailan lamang na adjustments.

“’Di ito mandatory, makikiusap kami. That’s the idea,” ayon kay Diokno.

Tinuran ni Abenoja na nagpasaklolo na ang DoF sa  Department of Transportation,  Toll Regulatory Board, at Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board para pag-usapan ang nasabing panukala kasama ang  tollway concessionaires.

“The discussions are ongoing,” ayon kay Abenoja.

Samantala, hinikayat naman ng DOF  ang pribadong sektor para sa  napapanahong importasyon o pag-angkat ng bigas  para makatulong na matugunan ang tumataas na presyo ng bigas.

Ang panukala ng departamento ay  “full implementation of the Super Green Lane that authorizes the use of Electronic Data Interchange that will allow for the advance processing and clearance of the shipments of the country’s topmost qualified importers.”

“There is also a need to curb non-competitive behavior in the rice industry by aggressively pursuing cases of hoarding, smuggling, and economic sabotage; strictly monitoring the prices of imported rice in the logistics chain; and encouraging the public, including retailers, to report individuals violating price caps on rice,” ayon kay Diokno.

“At the same time, we have to pursue programs to protect vulnerable sectors by safeguarding our farmers from the effect of the price ceiling; provide targeted subsidies to small traders and retailers of rice; and provide support to low-income households to address the impact of the surge in rice prices,” dagdag na pahayag nito. (Daris Jose)