Representative Horacio Suansing Jr. is demanding probes into the rice importation process, alleging substantial discrepancies and potential irregularities by major importer Stewart Santiago and his companies.
Sultan Kudarat 2nd district Representative Horacio Suansing Jr. is calling for investigations by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) into the rice importation process. His request stems from discrepancies he uncovered involving Davao-based businessman Stewart Santiago and his companies, Nance II AgriTraders, and Davao Solar Best Corporation.
Suansing revealed these discrepancies during a hearing of the House quinta-committee (quinta-comm), also known as the Murang Pagkain Super-committee, which is currently investigating rice importers amid concerns of irregularities affecting market stability and government revenues. He highlighted a significant mismatch between data from the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). While the BPI issued Sanitary and Phytosanitary Import Clearances (SPSICs) for only 48,852 metric tons (MT) in 2022, BOC records indicated Santiago's companies imported a total of 348,011 MT. Suansing emphasized this discrepancy, pointing out that the un-declared volume of 299,159 MT could signal deeper systemic issues in import regulation, potentially allowing for large-scale misdeclarations and abuse of government-issued clearances. He urged the BIR to verify the accuracy of the companies' financial declarations, particularly their claimed profits of P1 to P1.50 per kilogram of imported rice. The BIR representatives assured the quinta-comm that they were actively reviewing tax records of major rice importers. Suansing also questioned the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the BPI about lapses in monitoring rice imports, citing automatic SPSIC approvals during the previous administration as a potential factor contributing to irregularities like the recycling of import permits. While DA officials acknowledged that automatic approvals may have played a role, Suansing deemed this explanation insufficient.Suansing highlighted the significant market influence of Santiago's companies, noting that they collectively control approximately 10 percent of the country's rice imports. He requested the PCC to investigate potential anti-competitive behavior, which the agency committed to do, promising to submit their findings to the committee. Suansing concluded his questioning by stressing the critical need to address these irregularities to safeguard consumers and stabilize the rice market. The quinta-comm anticipates holding further hearings to ensure adequate oversight and develop stricter policies governing rice importation
RICE IMPORTATION PHILIPPINE LEGISLATURE INVESTIGATIONS MARKET STABILITY GOVERNMENT REVENUE ANTI-COMPETITIVE BEHAVIOR
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