LA TRINIDAD, Benguet December 10 – Gov. Nestor B. Fongwan welcomed the decision of the management of the Benguet Agri Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC) to temporarily suspend the P1 per kilo of traded vegetables being collected by farmers representing the service fee of those patronizing the existence of the multi-million facility.
Fongwan, who is a member of the BAPTC steering committee, said most farmers still do not understand the imposition of the P1 per kilo as service fee for trading in the facility that is why it is still best to suspend the same and allow agriculture industry stakeholders to fully internalize the essence of the said collection.
“We should not force our farmers to pay the prescribed service fee. Let us allow them to internalize the benefits of such collection and give them sufficient time to understand it. WE must work together in order to ensure the successful operation of the biggest vegetable trading facility in the country,” Fongwan stressed.
At the same time, the governor underscored it is important for the BAPTC management to continue enticing farmers to trade their crops in the facility but not to force them to do so because it will send a negative message to them on why are they being compelled to trade in the center.
According to him, there are several procedures in the manual of operations that have to be adjusted but it is still best for management to put the procedures to the necessary tests in order to ascertain whatever adjustments to be made to improve the services of vegetable trading in the facility.
Fongwan expressed optimism that BAPTC management will be able to immediately identify the procedures within the manual to be adjusted so that members of the project steering committee could already make the necessary amendments in order to further improve the services of the trading center.
Under the proposed manual of operations, the P1 per kilo service to be collected from farmers will be equally divided whereby P0.50 will be used for the maintenance of the trading center while the remaining P50 will be used for the social benefits of the farmers such as health and social insurance apart from the so-called rebates that they could get, especially in times of emergency.
However, many farmers claimed that the said amount is P1 excessive, saying that they prefer to have the P0.50 for maintenance be collected while the other P0.50 will be optional. Some farmers are in favour of the collection of the P1 service fee because they will also benefit from the said collection while other farmers proposed to lower the service from P1 to P0.50 only.
Fongwan urged all concerned stakeholders to immediately submit their proposals on the allowable service fee to be collected from them since the government will not be always subsidizing the operation of the center considering that it should be self-liquidating being an economic enterprise.
