March 17, 2021 | 8:16 pm Font Size
Image via Flixtey / CC BY-SA 4.0
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a committee to investigate alleged corruption in the process of certifying that pork imports are within the minimum access volume (MAV) quota, qualifying them to pay lower tariffs, though Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the possibility of corruption in issuing the document is âremote.â
In a statement Wednesday, Mr. Dar said the discretion of the certification issuers in ruling that imports fall within the MAV quota is limited.
âWe have created a special committee to look into allegations made by a lawmaker that there is a syndicate in the DA engaged in a payoff scheme,â Mr. Dar said. The committee will be headed by the chief of DAâs legal service, Armando R. Crobalde, Jr. It will evaluate the preliminary findings of the MAV Secretariat led by Executive Director Jane C. Bacayo. The committee has a deadline of the end of Marc