MANILA – Lawmakers and custom officials yesterday urged the National Food Authority to revert to its role as the sole importer of rice in a bid to eliminate the incidence of rice smuggling in the country’s ports.

The consensus was arrived at during a joint hearing of the House committees on Agriculture and Food Security on the alleged smuggling of P450-million worth of Indian rice at the Subic Freeport Zone.

Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairperson, Roberto Garcia, said the incident would have been avoided if the NFA was the country’s sole importer.

The NFA currently issues import permits to rice importers which, according to a Senate report, were being used by unscrupulous traders to legitimize the entry of smuggled rice.

To prevent another smuggling incident, Garcia urged the NFA to have its previous authority returned to them.

Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon agreed with the proposal, saying it could also be a way for NFA to recoup its losses.

He said the NFA used to buy imported rice at a low cost then sold them to the highest bidder to subsidize the loss the Philippines got from buying high priced domestic rice that was then sold at a low cost.*PNA

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