NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines — On Tuesday, the Departments of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Agriculture (DA) encouraged the House of Representatives to enact legislation establishing the interagency Sub Task Group on Economic Intelligence (STGEI) to pursue profiteers, price manipulators, hoarders, and smugglers.

DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castelo and DA Secretary William Dar said the subtask group is critical to investigate agricultural intelligence on smuggling during a hearing before the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on the country’s persistent problem of agricultural product smuggling.

The DA, in partnership with the DTI and other government organizations, makes up the subtask group.

Dar and Castelo, on the other hand, pointed out that the subtask group is only temporary due to a lack of manpower and resources.

“We started this last year when we established the IATF (Inter Agency Task Force) on Food Security, and this STGEI is a part of it.” “Neither the [STGEI] nor the department have a regular funding for anti-smuggling (campaigns),” Dar explained.

The STGEI was established to pursue unethical traders, viajeros, and wholesalers who had arbitrarily increased the price of hogs and pork, which had remained above PHP400 per kilogram (kg) even after the Christmas season of 2020.

Since the STGEI’s inception last year, Castelo has captured a total of PHP600 million worth of illicit agricultural products in at least 17 operations.

“Even DTI Secretary [Ramon] Lopez has consented to release cash to STGEI, but due to audit restrictions, we are unable to do so.” Even if we wanted it, we couldn’t have it,” Castelo remarked.

Mark Enverga, the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, has asked the DTI and the DA to submit their formal proposal to Congress, together with all essential documentation addressing personnel and budgetary requirements.

“May we request that you, Mr. Secretary [Dar], submit the framework of the present task group, personnel requirements, and financial requirements of the sub task force, and we will take everything into consideration in order to enhance the task force against agricultural smuggling,” Enverga stated.

House Resolution 2282 was introduced by MAGSASAKA party-list Rep. Argel Joseph Cabatbat to investigate the situation of border inspection and its facilities, as well as food safety rules and the persistent problem of agricultural commodities smuggling.

Rep. Eric Go Yap, the Benguet legislative caretaker, stated his full support for HR 2282 and promised to pursue it in the new 19th Congress to prosecute vegetable smugglers.

“Our efforts to empower our local producers and attain self-sufficiency are hampered by the admission and distribution of smuggled veggies,” Yap added.

Illegally imported veggies, he claims, have pushed Benguet farmers to cut farmgate prices and throw away harvested crops.

Cabatbat addressed the Cambridge Consumers Cooperative’s complaint about alleged extortion and reluctance to release shipment containers by Bureau of Plant and Industry employees at the hearing.

He also mentioned the unauthorized release of 7,871 metric tons of onions without a valid importing permission.

Enverga encouraged the DA to take action against its shady employees and promised to bring the matter up in the next Congress.

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