The Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) executive committee is pushing for a tariff on imported rice as well as comprehensive tax reform among the priority measures that Congress must act on once it resumes session next week. In a statement on Sunday, the state planning agency National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) said the Ledac committee wanted the proposed amendment to Republic Act (RA) No. ADVERTISEMENTAlong with the first package of the Duterte administration’s comprehensive tax reform program and 12 other measures, the Ledac committee wanted the tax on rice “passed into law possibly within the year,” said Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto M. Pernia. “We need rice tariffication because the import QR allowed by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has already ended. This is to prevent uncertainty as to what the demands of the WTO members will be following the lapse of the QR,” said Pernia, who also chairs the Ledac executive committee.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 16, 2017 16:52 UTC