Nograles calls on DTI to step up price monitoring

Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles on Thursday called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to step up its price monitoring of basic commodities after local officials placed Zamboanga City under a state of calamity due to the spiraling price of rice.

Nograles, chair of the House appropriations committee, warned that callous traders may be taking advantage of the situation to rake in profits and blame the Duterte administration’s tax reform package for bringing up the cost of basic goods.

“We have to send a message that profiteering does not pay. Government must make it clear that if businesses try to illegally pad their profits, they will literally pay for their crimes,” he said in a statement.

The Davao lawmaker said DTI’s provincial offices should be on their toes in protecting people in the provinces who bear the brunt of the rising price of commodities.

He also called on the public to report to authorities businesses suspected of violating the suggested retail prices imposed by the DTI.

“The (prices) of basic goods are in the DTI website. If we notice that a store is not following this standard, then report them,” he said.

READ: Zamboanga City under state of calamity due to rice shortage

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the proposed tariffication of rice and fish would only promote smuggling and flood the local market with imported rice and fish.

He said the move of President Duterte’s economic team would “fully open the floodgates of imported rice and fish,” adversely affecting the local fishermen and rice farmers.

“(I)nstead of lowering the prices of our staple food, it will in fact cause the increase of prices… because importers and businessmen would just pass on their added cost to consumers,” Zarate said.

“Imported fish like galunggong can also be dangerous to our health because some may contain even formaldehyde to preserve the fish,” he cautioned. /ee

READ: Tainted ‘galunggong barred’ from PH markets, says Palace