Rice retailers welcome PBBM’s latest EO on passing-through fees

The Grain Retailers Confederation of the Philippines on Friday welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Executive Order No. 41 suspending the "pass-through fees" collected by most of the local government units around the country.

GRECON spokesperson Orly Manuntag told the Daily Tribune that it would be "a big help" to the agriculture sector who deliver their fresh harvest to Metro Manila.

"Napalaking tulong po ito para sa agri sector. Ang pagkaka-lift na ito ay makakagaan sa kabuhayan ng lahat," Manuntag said, noting that it will lower the cost of agriculture products including rice products.

He said the President's order would also help the farmers and the retailers lower the price of their harvest particularly next month which is the "peak harvest period."

He added that recent and continued oil price hikes have affected the agri-sector which uses petroleum products for their tractors, driers, and in transporting their harvests.

The suspension of "passing through fees", Manuntag stressed, will cut the high cost of transporting agri-products as most of the LGUs have local ordinances relating to these.

Citing Manila LGU alone, Manuntag said retailers of agri-products are paying as high as P500 per truck or P2,000 to P3,000 a month for passing the locality.

Manuntag, who is also the co-founder of the Philippine Rice Industry Stakeholders Movement (PRISM) and CEO of Goldmine Farm-to-Market Franchise, said the price cap imposed on regular and well-milled rice will also be augmented by the harvest of rice this peak season.

"Kahit i-extend nila (price cap at P41/kilo and P45/kilo) ng two weeks, wala nang effect, kasi marami ng harvest," Manuntag explained.

He, however, suggested that the financial assistance earlier given to rice retailers should instead be repeated to help the rice sellers a chance to recover their losses because of the price cap.

"Sana may kasunod pa ang financial assistance to help the retailers. The price cap extension on the other hand should only be extended in two weeks or not at all because we will be harvesting this peak period na," he added.