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HEADLINES
NEDA hit to detail rice tariff cut
By Nidz Godino
"It suddenly appeared at the NEDA Board on June 3…we will ask, as far as possible, who went to NEDA Board meeting and if there is transcript to provide…if necessary, there will be executive session just so we can know root of this EO 62 modifying Nomenclature and Rates of Import Duty on Various Products," Sen. Imee Marcos said. National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) should make public details of June 3 NEDA Board meeting resulted in government's controversial decision to cut tariff on imported rice to 15 percent up to 2028.
Marcos made call after Senate hearing into proposed amendments to Rice Tariffication Law (Republic Act 11203) and Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RA 8178) showed proposal did not come from agricultural stakeholders, and was never raised during three consultative hearings of Tariff Commission in 2023.
"Clearly, this was small meeting…it was just board meeting, right… so it can hardly be considered public hearing with stakeholders and others," Marcos said.
NEDA Board is composed of the President as chairman and NEDA secretary as vice chairman, with members: executive secretary, special assistant to the president for investment and economic affairs, secretary of finance and secretary of budget and management.
Marcos noted transcripts of March, September and October 2023 consultative meetings and public hearings held by Tariff Commission, no mention of 15 percent rice tariff rate taking effect for four and a half years.
Tariff Commissioner Marissa Paderon explained proposed changes to tariff lines "came from parties" present during meetings.
"In reading that transcript, was there any new tariff rate on rice proposed or discussed… I can't see anything…throughout transcript, no one howled, and no one said to drop tariff to 15 percent…. I didn't see anything in full transcript… I turned it upside down. ..where did that come from…if you say it will come from someone who will raise his hand and suggest new tariff…not in the transcript," Marcos said, pointing out lack of due process in implementation of rice tariff cut.
Marcos also lamented how farmers' groups, federations and other agricultural stakeholders and Senate were left out of consultative meetings.
Farmer' groups and rice millers present during Senate hearing bared they were not even invited to 2023 consultative meetings on tariff lines, the senator noted.
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