CLARK FREEPORT – A group of businessmen slammed the National Food Authority for being “insensitive” to the public’s call to bring down the prices of the main staple, as they expressed support for the abolition of the grain agency and create a new small office to manage and supervise buffer stocks.
In its manifesto, the Foundation for Economic Freedom said NFA has caused and aggravated the rice inflation and shortage in different regions across the country and compounded the debt and losses of the national government.
“NFA also provided opportunities for graft and corruption for its officers and employees – from purchase of imported rice to the distribution and transportation and subsidized rice,” FEF said in a statement.
With high average rice prices and periodic shortages, FEF said the NFA has also contributed to the country’s high wage costs and lower competitiveness.
“We urge the Senate and the House of Representatives to immediately pass the rice tariff bill. We support a version of the bill that will abolish the National Food Authority and its powers, including imposing import quotas to the private sector in the importation of rice and to license traders and importers.” FEF stated further.
FEF also support setting tariff rates as low as possible in order to make rice more affordable to more than 100 million rice consuming Filipinos.
FEF said food security does not depend on the existence of the National Food Authority as recent events have shown. On the other hand, the NFA has been inefficient and clueless in the right timing in the importation of rice and its distribution.
The private sector should be free to import rice from any source in whatever quantities the market needs. This is the only solution to the current rice shortage crisis and to the pervasive malnutrition caused by high food prices.