Rice tariff law to ease poor’s burden—ArroyoBy The Manila TimesSPEAKER Gloria Macapagal Arroyo welcomed the signing into law of the rice tariffication bill, which seeks to ensure food security and ease inflation in the country. “I am happy that President (Rodrigo) Duterte has signed into law the Rice Tariffication Act. “Now we can focus on its proper implementation so that everyone can and should benefit from the law,” Arroyo said. The new law does away with quantitative restrictions on imported rice and will instead impose a general tariff to lower its price. For the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), the rice tariffication law will directly affect 13.5 million palay farmers and their families, 17.5 million farm workers, and more than 10 million Filipinos dependent on National Food Authority (NFA) rice.

Source: Manila Times February 17, 2019 09:22 UTC