‘Importers should pay pre-inspection cost of agricultural products’In an interview, Agriculture Assistant Secretary and deputy spokesman Rex Estoperez said that the pre-inspection was already proven effective before for the National Food Authority (NFA) when it was still empowered to import rice. “At the load port, we have representatives from the government agencies and private sector. Estoperez said that the government should not incur additional expenses for the pre-inspection and instead require the private sector to shoulder the cost. The best way is to require the private sector since they are the ones importing. It is more beneficial compared to the impact of smuggling, the impact of disease that we cannot control,” he added.
