MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Cynthia Villar expressed support for President Marcos’ order to ease the process of importation, which could also help sell agricultural products at cheaper prices.
Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture, clarified that the President’s Administrative Order 20, directing the Department of Agriculture (DA) to address existing challenges and remove non-tariff barriers, would not take away the tariff, thus the government would still be able to collect taxes.
“I’m very supportive because I read his order, ease the case of importing so that it’s not a tariff, the tariff will be the same but the paperwork of importation is easier. I think that means the importers will not have difficulty. If they do not have difficulty, the products can be sold cheaper,” the senator said in an interview.
Villar was one of the guests during the 73rd Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE) Inc. Annual National Convention, the 35th Philippine Agricultural Engineering Week Celebration and the 19th International Agricultural Engineering Conference in Legazpi City on April 22, with the theme “Sustainable Innovations in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering: Greener Future for Food-secured Philippines.”
“There was an order to help the farmers and fisherfolk to produce more and to lessen the importation, because the prediction is that you will lessen the importation of rice this year compared to last year,” she said.
AO 20 directed the DA to address existing challenges and remove non-tariff barriers that have contributed to rising domestic prices of agricultural commodities.
Marcos likewise instructed the DA, along with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Finance, to ease, among others, the procedures and requirements “in the licensing of importers, minimize processing time of application for importation and exempt licensed traders from submission of registration requirements.”