MANILA, Philippines- Sinabi ng Department of Agriculture (DA) na sinisilip nitong magpairal ng maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) para sa lahat ng rice varieties.
Ito ay ayon kay DA Undersecretary Asis Perez nang tanungin ni Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron kung ang P58 kada kilong MSRP ng premium imported rice ay maaaring ipatupad sa iba pang rice varieties.
“That’s being considered. We only started at P58 [per kilo for premium imported rice] because we have no prior experience [on implementing MSRPs],” pahayag ni Perez sa House Murang Pagkain Super Committee.
“Since this is a pilot [program], we wanted to look at it and then analyze it further on how we can improve. But that [expansion] is part of the strategy. In fact, we’re even considering the price cap [on rice],” dagdag ni Perez.
Kinuwestiyon naman ni Biron ang desisyon ng DA na itakda ang MSRP sa P58 per kilo para sa premium imported rice sa kabila ng umano’y pagkonsumo ng maraming Pilipino ng locally produced rice.
“Don’t you realize that the majority of the country’s rice supply is dependent on domestic production which represents 75% of the entire consumption?,” tanong ni Biron.
“I agree that there has to be a better formula, that there must be a better way to address this, not just use the landed cost of imported rice as the basis for putting the MSRP. But we are still working on the formula,” tugon naman ni Perez.
Samantala, sinabi ni Director Cherryl Carbonell ng Department of Trade and Industry na nagpulong ang National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) noong Martes at sumang-ayon sa prinspiyong mayroong “extraordinary” increase sa presyo ng bigas alinsunod sa batas.
“The council (NPCC) met yesterday, and we are looking at the possibility of declaring that there is an extraordinary increase in rice prices,” wika ni Carbonell.
“We are still working on the resolution [for that action],” patuloy niya. RNT/SA