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Senators may formally ask Duterte to withdraw order on reduced pork import tariffs
Senators may formally ask Duterte to withdraw order on reduced pork import tariffs
Senators may join hands in asking President Duterte to withdraw his Executive Order No. 128 that reduced the tariff of imported pork.
Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said that senators are of the view that they could not see the rationale of this pork importation order that reduced the tariff barriers.
The reduction of the tariff is effective within one year.
EO No. 128, signed last April 7, reduces the 30 percent tariff on pork imports under an import quota or minimum access volume (MAV) to five percent, while the 40 percent tariff outside of the MAV will be reduced to 15 percent.
Duterte also recommended the increase the current MAV of 54,000 metric tons to 404,000 metric tons.
The presidential edict was based on a recommendation of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Sotto questioned how the DA was able to convince the President to increase the MAV and decrease the tariff rates.
In the Senate Committee of the Whole public hearing Monday, April 12, the Bureau of Customs reported that government would lose about P3.6 billion due to the reduced tariff and this could go up to P5.4 billion depending on the volume of pork that would be imported.
Senator Panfilo Lacson had suggested that the passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives of a joint resolution asking the President to withdraw his order might do the trick.
Senate Minority Leader Franklin M, Drilon said approval of a bill on third and final reading by both legislative chambers is the better alternative.
Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food committee, also said there is no need to reduce the import duties because majority of the meat imports are offal with five to 10 percent tariff rates.
‘’In addition, there is no need to increase MAV because the good meat under MAV is only around 30 percent of the short of 388,000 metric tons. The 388,000 is the highest projection considering that the projection of the industry is lower,’’ she added.
Earlier, senators passed a resolution asking Duterte to declare a state of calamity because of the ravages of African swine fever (ASF) on the hog industry.