DEC.

28, 2011 DATE

NR # 2631B
REF. NO.

Solon wants congressional probe on rice importation

A lawmaker wants to investigate the people behind a move projecting a higher rice deficit in the country so it could force the government to import more rice. Rep. Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City), author of House Resolution 1396, said there are reports that some unscrupulous people are conniving with the NFA Inter Agency Council to project a higher rice deficit so that those involved in the import transactions get a high share from every metric ton of overpriced rice should be investigated. Castelo urged the House Special Committee on Food Security to summon the officials of the NFA Inter Agency Council to shed light on the matter. The house body should conduct a deeper investigation on the reported massive and systematic corruption at the National Food Authority (NFA) in the importation of the countrys rice supply making the staple food of every Filipino more costly, Castelo said. Castelo said the NFA is reposed that social responsibility to provide better access to affordable and quality rice to the poor through a sound system of stocking, inventory, and mitigation of wastage for its ideal or prescribed buffer stock of rice. NFA ought to be knowledgeable as it should likewise be accountable in making accurate estimate of the rice import requirements every start of the year insuring that no anomalies whatsoever are attendant to its transactions, Castelo said. It is unimaginable to know that an undetermined number of bags or rice in NFA warehouses rot, that there is utter lack of transparency, and that NFA has transformed into a trade facilitator and importer to the extent that it incurs huge costs for government while traders and financial institutions benefit in the process, Castelo said. It behooves upon NFA to align with the governments current thrusts to expand or simply lay the social ground for the poor to benefit from subsidized and of desired quality rice, Castelo said. (30) jy