MANILA – The Department of Agriculture warned that traders and retailers selling rice at prices higher than the government’s suggested retail price (SRP) stand to lose their business licenses.
The government started imposing sanctions on rice retailers caught selling over the SRP last week, as it implemented the mechanism in cities and provinces nationwide to benefit more consumers.
“The NFA (National Food Authority) will cancel their licenses to engage in rice trading and retailing,” DA secretary Manny Piñol said.
Piñol said SRP violators could also suffer from jail term between four months to four years and penalties of between P2,000 to P1 million.
He said the SRP program for Metro Manila and the Greater Manila Area was implemented on Oct. 27, although the penalties and fines could only be enforced 15 days after the publication of the guidelines as approved by the NFA Council.
The agriculture chief further said the following SRPs for rice covering the provinces were set: local regular milled rice, P39/kilogram; local well-milled rice, P44/kilogram; local premium rice, P47/kilogram; imported well-milled rice, P39/kilogram; and imported premium rice, P43/kilogram.
Piñol said the use of fancy names for rice like “Senandomeng,” “Super Angelica,” “Double Diamond,” and others that mislead the consumers, will also be stopped. (With a report from PNA/PN)
