NFA asks BOC to be on alert for smuggled Vietnam rice The National Food Authority (NFA) has formally alerted the Bureau of Customs about the possible entry of a huge volume of rice from Vietnam, procurement of which was supposedly made through a deal between several Filipino traders and one of the largest exporters in the world. In a letter dated October 21, 2013, NFA Administrator Orlan A. Calayag informed Bureau of Customs Commissioner Rufino B. Biazon of the reported agreement forged by unnamed rice traders with Vietnam Food Association for the supply of 120,000 metric tons of rice. This agreement was made without prior consent from the NFA, Administrator Calayag said. “For your information, the planned importation is in violation of Republic Act 8178 and Presidential Decree No. 4, as amended,” Administrator Calayag said in his letter. “Rice cannot be imported in the Philippines without an import permit from the NFA.” RA 8178 also known as “The Agricultural Tariffication Act” abolishes restrictions on the importation of agricultural products while protecting Filipino firms against unfair trade through the strict implementation of anti-dumping and countervailing measures. On the other hand, PD 4 empowers the NFA to require import permits for rice shipments. NFA also informed BOC that rice have been smuggled into the country in container vans from Vietnam through ports in Thailand, Singapore or Taiwan. Earlier, NFA has recommended to BOC the filing of appropriate cases to five consignees of 243,000 50-kilogram bags of smuggled rice from Thailand at the Davao Port between July and September this year. Documents provided by the NFA show some of the shipments actually originated from Vietnam and were sent through the Philippines via a port in Bangkok. Administrator Calayag also requested for the filing of charges to concerned BOC staff and officials who allowed the shipments to leave the port even with incomplete documents. As stated in an official communication sent by NFA to BOC, these consignees include Bold Bidder Marketing & General Merchandise, Jade Bros. Farms & Livestock Inc., Medaglia de Oro Trading, Silent Royalty Marketing, and Starcraft Trading Corporation. Administrator Calayag has also asked the seizure of a separate 69,500 50-kilogram bags of rice which also arrived in Davao Port. Consigned to San Carlos Multipurpose Cooperative and Starcraft Trading Corporation, these shipments are currently on-hold at the port on NFA’s behest.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 09:18:43 +0000
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