NFA branch defends coops linked to rice smuggling
AT least 10 cooperatives in Eastern Pangasinan are in hot water on suspicion that they are engaged in dubious importation of rice.
But an official of the National Food Authority (NFA) branch in Eastern Pangasinan was quick to defend them.
Though no less than NFA General Manager Lito Banayo linked the 10 coops to suspected smuggling, Ligaya Apolinario, assistant manager of the National Food Authority (NFA) branch in Eastern Pangasinan, said she was vouching for the legitimacy of the operations of the named cooperatives.
Speaking on May 19 during the KBP forum at PIA office, Apolinario said her office is familiar with the coops since it was her office that processed and endorsed their application to import rice to the NFA central office.
She, however, did not name the cooperatives being investigated.
The questioned importations were made in 2010 during the past administration.
She maintained that the coops have been certified as “existing and are operational” by the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and pointed out that the coops imported rice in joint venture with certain individuals and companies.
She said NFA central office approved their pre-qualification at the NFA eastern Pangasinan branch.
Pre-qualification, she said, requires cooperatives to submit a clearance from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, copies of financial statements, municipal permits, structural qualifications and others.
The new administration at the NFA, however, reportedly received reports that many cooperatives do not directly import rice since they have no capability by merely lend their import permit to certain individuals or companies for a fee.
Apolinario also denied that a number of the suspected cooperatives do not even own or operate warehouses citing the on-site inspection of warehouses conducted by NFA.
So far, no cooperative in western Pangasinan engaged participated in rice importation.
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