Abono tells gov’t: Drop WTO negotiations
MALASIQUI—“Useless”.
This was how Abono party-list chairman Rosendo So described the negotiations being undertaken by the government with the World Trade Organization for the extension on the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice.
The government was granted by the WTO an extension on the QR on rice from 2006 to 2012, under which the minimum access volume (MAV) was increased to 350,000 metric tons (MT) and the tariff was reduced to 40 per cent.
So explained that the MAV is the QR component of the country’s commitments to the WTO.
“We didn’t use the MAV from 2006 to 2011 because NFA has special allocation,” So said.
During the hearing conducted by the House Committee of Agriculture and Food, Rep. Agapito Guanlao found out that MAV for rice since 2006 has not been used by the government.
The committee also learned that the rice importation from 2006 to 2011 was coursed through the special allocation of the National Food Authority (NFA) with the Department of Finance shouldering the tariff.
So said that the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) could have accumulated more funds to help local farmers if the rice importation from 2006 to 2011 utilized the MAV.
“ACEF money could have been increased if rice importation was coursed through MAV,” So said.
He added that the ACEF should have been utilized as the safety net of farmers against negative effects of the country’s entry to WTO.
So said the present MAV of 350,000 MT is useless because Agriculture Undersecretary Dante de Lima has stated that the country will only import 100,000 MT of rice for next year because the country is on track with its rice self-sufficiency program.
THAILAND RICE
So also pointed out that at the House hearing, Atty. Gilbert Lauengco, Special Assistant to the NFA Administrator, said that Thailand wants the Philippines to import from them 650,000 metric tons of rice before they will agree to QR extension.
“Why should we import from Thailand when the price of rice there is $540 per metric ton when the price in Vietnam is only $420 per metric ton?” So asked.
So suggested in last Tuesday’s committee hearing that every shipment of rice must be levied corresponding tariff to really protect the farmers.–Eva Visperas
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