DA: Rice importers may face hoarding raps

MANILA, Philippines — Importers face possible charges of hoarding after the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said 888 containers or an estimated P555 million worth of imported rice have been left unclaimed for over 20 days at the Port of Manila, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said yesterday.

“Apparently, the consignees want to wait for the retail price of rice to go up so that their revenues will further increase. That’s not right. That can constitute hoarding or they can face other charges,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said during the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing yesterday.

He said there should be timing in the importation and distribution of imported rice to prevent problems in the food value chain.

De Mesa added that the Bureau of Plant Industry will also inspect the container vans to ensure that the rice is still fit for human consumption.

Meanwhile, the PPA said it wants the stalled rice imports confiscated and declared abandoned by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

The agency also warned that it would publicize the names of the consignees of the imported rice by Oct. 1.

All the 888 containers of imported rice have been “cleared by the BOC and the (Bureau of Internal Revenue),” said PPA general manager Jay Santiago.

Consignees of shipments would not be charged if their shipments stay at PPA-managed ports for up to five days. From the six to the 10th day, they would be charged P700 per day per container, while they would have to pay a hefty P5,000 each day for each container beyond 10 days, he explained.

Santiago also pointed out that consignees might choose to let their shipments sit in container yards since fees charged by government are cheaper than those charged by private warehouses, which he said are “vulnerable to inspections by the BOC and the DA.”

Santiago said he hoped the imported rice would be released soon to help stabilize the price of rice in the market.