Tulfo urges DA to start arresting abusive rice importers, traders
HOUSE Deputy Majority Leader Rep. Erwin Tulfo encouraged the Department of Agriculture (DA), led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, to start arresting abusive rice importers and traders in the country because of the continued high prices of rice in the market.
“P35 per kilo ang imported rice paglabas sa ating pier, e bakit wala pa rin tayong nakikitang bigas na less than P50 ang kilo sa palengke. Ang ibig lang sabihin nito sa bulsa lang ng mga importers at traders napupunta lahat ng profit o kita at hindi man lang nila patikmin ang taumbayan,” said Cong. Tulfo.
The ACT-CIS partylist Representative added that the price of rice has gone down in the world market, where the country’s imported rice comes from.
He also argued that the tariff for imported rice had also been reduced, thus the price of rice in the market should have also dropped.
“Kung P35 per kilo ang gastos nila sa pagbili at pagpaparating nila ng bigas sa bansa dapat nasa P45 ang kilo na lang ng bigas sa palengke kasama na yung kanyang kita doon at ng rice retailer,” Tulfo explained.
“Panahon na mag-sampol si Sec. Laurel ng tusong importer na makasuhan at kumpiskahin mga bigas nito dahil sa overpricing. Unless kumilos si Sec. Laurel, hindi bababa ang presyo ng bigas sa palengke,” Cong. Tulfo added.
