BAGUIO CITY – The North Luzon Area officers of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) challenged concerned government agencies, particularly the State-run National Food Authority (NFA), to start the ball rolling in the lowering of prices of basic commodities by cutting down the retail prices of NFA rice which is the country’s staple food in order to help many poor families move out from the shackles of poverty.
The PCCI North Luzon Area issued the statement after a recent meeting mong its officers led by Engr. Alfonso T. Lao, PCCI North Luzon Area Vice President, Juan Johnny dela Cruz, PCCI Cordillera Regional Governor, Jerry Noel F. Mateo, PCCI Region I Regional Governor and Charles Lim, PCCI Region II Regional governor.
Instead of trade and industry officials repeatedly appealing to the manufacturers and distributors to voluntarily lower the prices of basic commodities, the group cited that NFA being in charge of the disposal of NFA rice must spearhead the lowering of prices by reasonably cutting the wholesale and retail prices of rice so that more people could afford to buy rice for their daily consumption.
The chamber cited it is wondering why trade and industry officials are focusing their attention on manufacturers and distributors of basic commodities when government plays a vital role in the regulation of the buying prices of NFA rice which is supposed to be made readily available for the public.
According to the group, manufacturers and distributors of basic commodities are doing their part in improving the volume of their products or putting up promo packages in order to cope up with the continuous drop in fuel prices that should trigger a cut in the prices of basic commodities.
The NCCI-NLA claimed that manufacturers are now increasing the contents of their products to allow consumers to have greater use of basic commodities at the same buying price instead of frequently reducing the prices of their products while distributors are also putting up promo packages in order to improve the marketability of their products even without reducing buying prices.
The chamber explained rice is a basic commodity which is in demand for the Filipino people that is why concerned government agencies in charge of the disposal of N?FA rice must make sure that it cuts down on its prices to make the ordinary people purchase more rice for their daily consumption and prevent the existence of hunger in the countryside.
As a government agency in charge of basic commodity or staple food for the people, the business organization cited that NFA must start significantly reducing the prices of rice being sold in the markets to allow the people have greater access to cheap and quality rice for the benefit of the greater majority of the populace.
By Dexter A. See
