EDITORIAL:Reducing rice tariff
The government is reducing the 50% tariff among rice importers by 40% by imposing only 10% tariff on imported rice on traders, because this time, government will now be the one importing rice and the traders paying only 10% tariff to government instead of the 50% of……….. whatever.
This is good news on the rice supply strategy of government. But again we must warn that strong monitoring must be imposed on this proposed P43-billion rice importation scheme lest the money might slip away and go to some other pockets other than for those intended.
You see the nation and people are now paranoid of this government’s handling of big money. We know the president has no time nor the breeding to steal money but sadly the buck stops with the woman and so the President must also make sure that she will not get the burnt of corruption accusations. What are we talking about?
We are talking about those still unresolved big-time corruption which although not proven yet, has already created the damage on governments present and future credibility. There may not be real corruption as in massive plunder of funds. But questions need to be answered in such big time expenditures such as:
The P750-million fertilizer scam with JocJoc Bolante still scot free and unable to account; P2.Billion swine dispersal fund; P3B for the irrigation fund and the ZTE deal of $262 million dollars would have been in the bag if not for the timely expose. And yet now another reported anomaly in the alleged P2B salt fertilizer scam and corn seed.
The government if it must uphold its credibility, should quickly explain if questions are raised on money matters, instead of refusing to attend hearings and will opt to go to court instead. But in fairness, court cases need hard evidence as against those Senate hearings where the questions are tough, but the Senate is as toothless tiger who only barks but cannot bite to eat because its role is not to prosecute but to seek answers to queries in aid of legislation ---- , grandstanding included.
So to get back at 40% reduction of rice importation tariff. We tell the traders to go for it, support the 10% tariff, and let the government do the importation instead of traders and consumers being bled at no fault of their own.
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Sun Apr 13, 2008 9:01 pm