National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said that rice tariff reduction remains an option for the Marcos administration, but immediate execution is not viable.

President Marcos earlier thumbed down the reduction of the rice tariff.

“He saw that these prices are trending downward, the global production appears to be down so I think given the difficulty of changing the tariff because there’s also dynamics in the tariff reduction,” Balisacan said in an interview with ANC.

“It’s not that you can reduce the tariff right away, you have to go through a cycle of consultation so it takes a long time before you can execute a tariff reduction,” he added.

“If you want to change the tariff you have to make sure that you are correct about your information and that information you have is expected to last long because if it does not have then you’re in trouble because getting back the tariff is not easy,” he further said.

Balisacan also said that the rice price ceiling should be lifted “very soon,” saying that the president is aware of its dangers.

“He just wanted to be assured and see the data, the indicators that would say we have all the tools properly deployed to protect especially the vulnerable,” he said.

The NEDA chief also stated that the government has been working with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on aiding the vulnerable groups with appropriate tools once the rice cap has been lifted.

For a long-term basis solution, he said that the government has been working investing on infrastructures such as farm-to-market roads and engaging with private sectors to invest in rural areas.

Agrarian reform programs should be addressed, Balisacan said, so market forces can consolidate farms to seize opportunities.