Regulators abet sugar smuggling; P70 per kilo at Kadiwa too pricey philstar.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from philstar.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Summon Customs and Agriculture chiefs. Subpoena full records. Require video proofs of smashing of smuggled foods. Swear attendees to truth. Televise hearings.
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda (File photo) MANILA - The House Ways and Means Committee is eyeing to propose amendments to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act to boost the government's fight against agricultural smuggling in the country and protect the livelihood of local farmers. Albay Representative Joey Salceda said the House panel has been focused on working with the agencies to revise administrative issuances and policies, as well as creating the necessary legislative pressure to strengthen ongoing anti-smuggling efforts. "I will constitute a Technical Working Group on possible recommendations that we can turn over to the next administration, particularly on amendments to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act," Salceda said in a message to reporters on Tuesday. The committee, he said, would also finalize a joint memorandum circular between the agencies to strengthen anti agricultural smuggling measures. He noted that they would hold another House hearing with the Bu
Local farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet are now losing P2.5 million a day after more smuggled carrots entered the market this year, a group told lawmakers on Monday.
SENATE PROBE. Senate President Vicente Sotto III asks questions during the Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on the smuggled agricultural products on Monday (March 28, 2022). Bureau of Customs Assistant Commissioner Vincent Maronilla and Agriculture Assistant Secretary Federico Laciste Jr. attended the second hearing. (Screengrab from Senate hearing) MANILA - The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) agreed that digitalization of their system would boost the government's fight against the smuggling of agricultural products in the country. This, after Senate President Vicente Sotto III during the Senate Committee of the Whole public hearing on Monday noticed inconsistencies in the government's records of imported agricultural products. "To make things worse, efforts made on contacting some of the operations against smugglers were put to naught as cases have not yet been filed. What are the BOC and DA doing about these inconsistencies?," Sot