Untax imported rice, says lawmaker Ong

Northern Samar Rep. Emil Ong, former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator, on Thursday hit the Aquino government for allowing imported rice to be taxed, adding that the staple grain shouldn’t be imported in the first place.

 

“Anomalous na pumapayag ang gobyerno na mag import ng rice at a price of P35 per kilo, yet the NFA is only buying the palay of the farmers at P17 per kilo. Basically parang you are buying the palay of foreign farmers at around 25 per kilo since palay prices are 80 percent of rice prices,” Ong said. 

 

“Bakit naman ganun? During my time, ang presyo ng bigas ay five pesos, never kaming bumili ng palay above that. Pa-lugi, pero favorable to the farmers,” he added.

 

The former NFA administrator turned lawmaker called the increasing rates of imported rice as a possible cause for smuggling in the country.

 

“Dati, during President Cory Aquino’s time [when I was NFA administrator,] walang smuggling, no duties and tariff. Wala ring power ang NFA to delegate to cooperatives,” he said, adding that President Benigno Aquino III should move to remove taxation on imported rice.

 

“'Yun ang advocacy ko ngayon kay President Noynoy, na i-abolish na ang taxes of importation, and it should be exclusively the NFA only who will import rice, ginagamit kasi ang influence of power, nakakakuha ng permit to import rice [ang mga smugglers,] 'yun ang anomalya diyan,” he explained.

 

Ong’s comments came after the National Bureau of Investigation arrested and subsequently released one Davidson Bangayan, the alleged person behind rice smuggler “David Tan.”

 

Bangayan surrendered a day after De Lima bared to the media that NBI investigators were able to establish him as the David Tan being linked to rice smuggling activities in the country.

 

CCT money to DA

 

Ong also hit the Aquino administration’s flagship anti-poverty program, the Conditional Cash Transfer Program or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, saying it promotes a beggar-like attitude from the poor.

 

“We are promoting mendicancy and idleness, dapat binigay 'yung pera ng CCT sa Agriculture Department – parang political gimik 'yun sa 'kin,” he said.

 

“CCT... not a long term solution, one year or two years tapos habit forming. When it stops, what will happen? 'Wag bigyan ng pera 'yung able bodied person, tapos pag maraming anak, mas maraming makuha? Eh, 'di mag-po-produce ng maraming anak [yung mga beneficiaries.] Mali po 'yung programa na 'yan,” he said.

 

Instead, Ong suggested that the P62 billion in funds given to the DSWD for the program should be given to the Agriculture Department to subsidize farmers.

 

“Ang farmers na nagpapakain sa 'tin, pero inaapi nila. The NFA should be provided proper funding, congress should be given budget. DA should be given more funds – dapat i- subsidize ang staple food, imbes na ibigay sa DSWD, dapat sa NFA 'yun,” he said.

 

Ong also suggested buying all Pinoy farmers’ produce before sourcing rice from outside the country.

 

“During my time, we have to buy the produce of the local farmers before the NFA can import rice, we can't buy if our farmers still has stock in their bodegas,” he said. – VS, GMA News