Editorial - Rice and money

Shortly after it assumed office, this government, in a clear attempt to impute wrongdoing on its predecessor, declared that the country was swimming in rice, the insinuation being that some people made huge amounts of money out of importing more rice than can be consumed.

But because the truth cannot be hidden for long, this same government was forced to make another declaration shortly thereafter that the country was in fact short on rice and thus must make huge importations. It did not say, though, that some people want their turn to make money.

Then very recently, an intelligence report came out that rice shortages and overall food insecurity could pose serious challenges to this government. It quicky responded that the report was a sham, probably instigated by some people out to make money out of a panicked population.

But even prior to that, an entirely different survey came out suggesting that more people have experienced hunger under this government, to which it also quickly responded that the survey did not consider the huge amounts of money it gave away to hungry people.

In case you have not noticed it, there seems to be a common thread that ties all of the above together — the element of hunger and the role of money in it, whether to exploit the situation, or to needlessly buy a result that is not forthcoming.

That rice is the staple food for close to a hundred million people presents untold opportunities for making money. Whether such money is made above-board or under the table matters little beside the fact that it can be made.

That aside, the question begs to be asked: Who are in a position to make such money? It is of course a no-brainer who. Each government has its own cabal of enterprising money-makers who do nothing but wait.

People have to eat. And in this country they eat rice. Whether there is enough or we have to look for it somewhere is not the point, although this government tries to distract us with a shell game of sorts along that line. The whole point is rice, and the money that is its topping.