(Last week, I pointed out that there is an ongoing rice scam at the Department of Agriculture and National Food Authority that could cost taxpayers to lose P2 Billion to corruption and waste. This post picks up where it left off, which is the enormous yearly corruption and waste that is created by the government’s rice importation program.)
The core idea is really simple: Government funded rice importation is unnecessary, corrupt, and wasteful.
Just today, Department of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala assured before a senate inquiry that there is an adequate supply of rice and that prices would stabilize in a matter of weeks.
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“There is no reason to panic. We are expecting that rice prices will normalize in a few days, as palay harvest is starting, particularly in major rice producing provinces,” Alcala said.
“Our farmers up north have started harvesting last week and will continue until harvest season in October. Farmers from other rice-producing provinces will follow,” he added.
What is fishy about this is that despite the assurance of ample rice supplies and that prices would return to their “normal” levels, the National Food Authority recently reported that there is still a need to import rice.
During the 12 September 2013 hearing at the House of Representatives, contrary to previous and repeated declarations of sufficiency in supply, the NFA admitted the need to purchase 500,000 MT of rice to augment the country’s buffer stocks for 2013.
Why do we need a buffer stock if we have an adequate rice supplies? Why do we need a buffer stock of rice if prices are just going through a seasonal and temporary increase?
Moreover, wasn’t it during his Fourth State of the Nation that President Benigno Aquino III said that the country would soon emerge as an exporter of rice? Didn’t he say his rice self-sufficiency program had succeeded?
If you looked at the government’s rice importation figures, you’d actually spot the fact that in 2013 the government imported nearly double the amount of rice it imported — from 120,000 Metric Tons to 205 Metric Tons!
The cost of 205,700 MT of rice will cost us tax payers more than 7.5 million dollars or by very conservative estimates, more than 300 million pesos.
That is easily larger than the P224,512,500 million pesos that Senator Bong Revilla supposedly siphoned off from his Priority Development Assistance Fund over the course of 4 years. And the really horrible thing about it is that this is bound to happen EVERY YEAR!
Either the President’s rice self-sufficiency claim is full of Carabao dung or he is allowing his supposed minions at the NFA to waste tax payers money on importing rice that isn’t needed.
Writer.
“Either the President’s rice self-sufficiency claim is full of Carabao dung or he is allowing his supposed minions at the NFA to waste tax payers money on importing rice that isn’t needed.”
Or both. Hahahaha. Amusing article, Sir Paul. I was entertained.
Thanks!
Actually governments around the world are preparing for a major solar event this December that will wipe out most of the global infrastructure that will lead to chaos and death. Now is the time to support Noynoy in preparing for this catastrophe. We must come together as a nation and a people if we are to survive this event.
Right, just like the end of the Mayan epoch in time last 12/12/12 was going to begin the end the world, an apocalypse in the making, OMG!!!!
Yes, Mr.Adams , PLEASE do tell us all, when will this all occur so we can all get together on the side of the mountain and sing “Kumbayah!”? OR storm the House of Parliament with 100,000 pissed off people, rip the officials out of their leather chairs, string ’em up outside and declare a new state has arrived? OR, all can go to the sea and throw ourselves in and bathe our sins away. PLEASE TELL US WHEN WE CAN ALL COUNT ON THIS HAPPENING? EXACTLY? SO OUR PRAYERS CAN FINALLY BE ANSWERED!!!! Tell us Johnny!
You asked for the Red Pill?
He you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jy4C0ueZ29A
Have no fear. Nobody really dies. All is one.
I think the only reason why they unnecessarily import rice is import taxes, think of the taxes collected from importing rice.
Point taken. Tariffs in customs are ridiculously high.
Yes they are.Import tariffs are killing the Philippine economy, the citizens go hungry because of them, and making the tax collectors rich! Have you seen the prices of a Canon Power-Shot A2200(2009 technology, just arrived,HA!)? Twice as expensive as any country on the planet.
Same w/PC’s and everything else, Petroleum prices, any type of imported food. A TAX REVOLT IS IN ORDER FOR SURE!
Yes, no wonder.
Customs especially in post offices and the EMS, or let’s just say the whole customs office surely would love to tax and put tariffs to everything. But hey, I guess that is why so there are so many old people that work there. Easy money, baby~ 😀 When I get old I wanna work there too.
Anyway all kidding aside, I did hear that in the SONA that we will soon be exporting rice..hmm I don’t know maybe I misheard him, maybe he meant rice wine or rice crackers or rice cookers perhaps.
Would you like some fish with that rice?
Yes please!
U KNO,every single thing in the country that relates to business/money is a SCAM. Every single thing, no exceptions, ‘SCAM CITY’/’RIP-OFF CENTRAL’ are just some of the monikers the country has been dubbed with by the international community. Not one single business is legitimate and it is a revolting experience for just about all who care to partake of it. Literally anyone who cares to undertake the mission of naming and describing EVERY SCAM in the country would be typing relentlessly for days, and when they thought they were done? Another would surely pop up.
From ‘speculation’ in the electricity market to telecomm ‘pricing’ to housing ‘financing’ to automobile ‘dealing’to ‘gov’t. contracting’ to ‘taxi fares’, and everything in between, there is a rottenness/sleaziness to whatever it is, that is as unavoidable as it is revolting.
This rice scam should surprise no one as it is just one more indication of just how sleazy the entire business/gov’t. climate in the entire country is.YUCK!
in this country, almost everything has strings attached….i’m not surprised…