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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Excess tax from RLL can provide cash assistance to rice farmers

Excess tax from RLL can provide cash assistance to rice farmers

Published Oct 4, 2020 05:08 pm

A farmer’s group on Sunday, Oct. 4, said the utilization of the excess tax collection from the Rice Liberalization Law (RLL) can provide direct cash assistance to farmers amid the decline in palay prices.

(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)

“There are numerous possible sources of funding to address the desperate situation of Filipino rice farmers amid the dive of palay prices this harvest season, the RLL tax fund is definitely among them,” said Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chair Danilo Ramos. 

Farmers are seeking help from the government as palay prices continued to drop to as low as P12 per kilo from the P17 to P20 buying range of the National Food Authority (NFA).

Various peasant organizations have been calling for P10,000 immediate cash aid since the onset of strict lockdowns in March brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

The KMP supports Senator Francis Pangilinan’s call to utilize excess tax collection from the RLL to provide direct cash assistance to farmers.

Last week, Pangilinan cited the tax collection from the RLL has reached P10.728 billion as of July 2020. This is an excess of P728 million needed for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Program (RCEP).

“If this P728 million is immediately provided as P10,000 cash aid, it will provide much-needed assistance to 72,800 farming families,” Ramos noted.

The group, however, said the amount is not enough to cover all the farmer households affected by the declining palay prices.

KMP claimed several provinces saw average palay prices to further drop to P10 a kilo in their respective areas.

Ramos said that P10 billion is a measly amount compared to the more than P85 billion losses incurred by farmers due to the rice importation.

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