(Isinusulong ng food group) 35% TARIPA SA LAHAT NG AGRI IMPORTS

IPINANUKALA ng Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) ang pagbasura sa minimum access volume (MAV) tariff-setting policy na nagtatakda ng mas mababang taripa sa agricultural imports, at sinabing ang uniform o magkakaparehong 35 percent ay dapat ipatupad sa lahat ng agricultural products na ipinapasok sa bansa.

Ayon kay  PCAFI president Danilo Fausto. ang panukala ay ginawa sa pagpupulong sa pagitan ng  food producers ng bansa at ng Department of Agriculture (DA) officials, sa pangunguna ni Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. sa main office ng DA noong Huwebes.

Sinabi ni Fausto na itinutulak ng PCAFI ang pag-aalis sa  MAV tariff-setting policy na nagtatakda ng mas mababang taripa sa agricultural imports, basta pasok ito sa volumes na pinayagan ng World Trade Organization (WTO).

“The 1995 policy is long outdated, and food producers would rather have a uniform rate of as high as 35 percent on all agricultural goods being shipped into the country,” sabi niya sa Philippine News Agency.

“It was explained to the DA that the policy has been rendered unnecessary when one considers that the MAV-approved volume for chicken imports is only 23.5 metric tons annually, when in reality, the Philippines imported around 400 MTs of dressed chicken in 2023,” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya, iminungkahi rin ng PCAFI na ang revenues na nakolekta mula sa Safeguard Measures Act (Republic Act 8800) ay ibalik sa industriya kung saan ito kinolekta upang mapalakas ang global competitiveness nito.

Aniya, nasa P11.5 billion ang nakolekta mula sa local dairy industry sa pagitan ng 2018 at 2022, subalit ang National Dairy Authority, isang attached agency ng DA, ay may annual budget lamang na P500 million.

“Revenue collection from the food producing sector should be spent on improving the sector because, in the first place, RA 8800 was intended to relieve domestic industries’ suffering from serious injury as a result of increased imports,” sabi pa niya.

(PNA)