Makakalikom pa rin ng sapat na import duty ang pamahalaan, para sa Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), kahit pa mayroong mga pagbabago sa ipinapataw na taripa para sa ilang produkto.
Pahayag ito ni NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, makaraang aprubahan ng NEDA Board ang Comprehensive Tariff Program 2024 – 2028.
Sa press briefing sa Malacañang, sinabi ng kalihim na kaya naman umiiral ang RCEF ay upang mapataas ang competitiveness at income ng mga Pilipinong magsasaka.
“The remaining tariff is still quite substantial; fifteen percent pa rin iyan. So whatever imports, if those imports are coming in at still elevated high prices, it’s still quite a substantial tariff revenue for the RCEF.” —Secretary Balisacan.
Bukod dito, ang 15% na tariff rates ay malaki pa rin naman.
Makakatulong pa rin aniya ito sa revenue collection ng bansa.
Dagdag pa ng kalihim, una na rin namang itinaas ng pamahalaan ang pondo ng Department of Agriculture.
“Plus, as I said earlier, the government has substantially increased the budget for the Department of Agriculture. The budget for 22, 23, 24, the average, 69 percent increase, compared to previous years. So that’s the highest increase you can find in any of the sector in so far as the government allocation of the budget is concerned,” —Secretary Balisacan.| ulat ni Racquel Bayan