DEC 31, 2017
I learned I won’t make any New
Year’s resolutions. It wouldn’t do any good anyway. I’m just not that resolute.
Fact is, I don’t need to make any resolutions. Not because I’m already perfect
… but because Her Royal Highness Princess Wife is … she makes all my
resolutions for me. She has a list.
At the top of her list for 2018
are my fingernails. To her, trimmed fingernails are more than an aesthetic. She
sees long nails as a brutish, primitive and unsophisticated sort of thing. And
for one to chew on a fingernail … to have enough fingernail to chew on … why
that’s just barbaric.
Now, one may think, if trimming
my fingernails makes Her Royal Highness Princess Wife happy … just trim the
darn fingernails. But such an act has far reaching ramifications. It is a
matter of liberty and power. If I trim my nails, playing poker will become
difficult because without a thumbnail I won’t be able to slyly lift the corners
of my hole cards from the felt and peak at them. Vast territories inside my
nose and bellybutton will go unexplored, the pop-tops of beer cans will go
un-popped and I will need to buy a screwdriver, which is nothing more than a
prosthetic fingernail, to change the battery in my clock. None of these things
matter. The resolution has been made.
Her Royal Highness Princess Wife
has declared that in 2018 I will be a completely frugal person. Now, on the
surface, this sounds fine. But it is subterfuge. She began covertly working
toward this end some time ago. Her plan was and remains that I make zero
purchases … none … zilch … her warped version of what it means for me to be
frugal.
It began with cotton swabs. So
there I was, two years ago, in the cotton swab aisle of the Walmart. There is a
box of 1,000 swabs selling for around $3. But for $1 more, I can get 50 swabs
that come in this neat little plastic dispenser. It was when I chose the 50
swabs in the neat little plastic dispenser over the 1,000 swabs in a box she
decided I shouldn’t be allowed to shop … ever. Now, to her, me being frugal
doesn’t mean I can’t go shopping. I can … when accompanied by an adult … namely
her. I am allowed to push the cart. But to even think about putting anything in
the cart, why, that would just be silly.
Her Royal Highness Princess Wife
has resolved that in 2018 I become a “prepper.” Not the kind of prepper who stockpiles food and ammunition
in preparation to rise above the hungry hoards at the onset of the apocalypse,
but the sort of prepper who is ready for that dreaded day when we would run out
of toilet paper. You see, up until two months ago, Her Royal Highness Princess
Wife had no idea what Costco or Sam’s Club was. And we were happy. Now that she
has discovered Costco and Sam’s Club, I know that from 2018 on to eternity … I
will be a prepper.
She, being the sly little thing
she is, began prepping me to be a prepper about a year ago. My first lesson was
in curry … the spice … curry. The little jars or packages of curry just weren’t
practical, just weren’t frugal. She felt we should be buying it by the kilo. I
didn’t understand.
“Habebe!” I say. “A kilo is 2.2 pounds. Isn’t that like a lifetime worth of
curry?”
She scoffs. “No Habebe! We need two kilos for
one year … and about one kilo of cumin and a kilo of tumeric, a half kilo of
anise and about as much cardamom, cloves, etc.”
And I wondered … “What hath God wrought?”
She found a place online where
she could buy curry by the kilo. I stood my ground and put my foot down at two
kilos. I had to rearrange a cabinet to hold her spices.
Since then, she began buying
Basmati rice by the 50 pound bag, brown rice and black rice by the 25 pound
bag. Then she discovered Costco and I have discovered I will pass the days of
2018 making room in the pantry and closets, removing the stuff that can be
stored out in the shed, meaning my stuff, to make room for two years of toilet
paper, two years of paper towels, a pallet of Irish Spring, enough coffee
filters to last a lifetime, almonds, peanuts and walnuts up the ying-yang,
enough canned vegetables to feed the hungry hoards a full year into the
apocalypse … even though I have never known her to use canned vegetables …
ever!
If the apocalypse should begin
tomorrow, come to my house. You will find a truly prepared prepper because Her
Royal Highness Princess Wife has resolved as much for me.
Resolutions smesolutions! I make
no resolutions for 2018. Such things have been made for me. Come this time
tomorrow I will be a spend-thrift who doesn’t play poker or explore
bellybuttons or pop tops, has neat fingernails and enough food and toilet paper
stored up for several years. Damn you, 2018! This is all I have learned today.
http://www.timesrepublican.com/opinion/columnists/2017/12/up-the-resolution/
Rice Imports Will Stop This Year,
Says Buhari
Channels Television
Updated January 1, 2018
Updated January 1, 2018
President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria
will stop rice imports this year.
The President said this in his New Year broadcast to Nigerians
on Monday morning, while assuring Nigerians that the government “is slowly
stabilising the economy”.
Government officials have repeatedly pointed to an upsurge in
rice production as one of the signs that the current administration’s plans to
diversify the economy was achieving the desired results.
The President shares the same view and is satisfied with the
progress made. Beyond the economic implication of self-sufficiency in rice
production, President Buhari also expects Nigerians to get nutritional benefits
from locally produced rice.
“Two years ago I appealed to people to go back to the land. I am
highly gratified that agriculture has picked up, contributing to the
government’s effort to restructure the economy. Rice imports will stop this
year. Local rice, fresher and more nutritious will be on our dishes from now
on,” he said.
President Buhari explained that it was in order to change the
steady and steep decline in the economy that the government adopted the more
sustainable policies and programmes captured in the Economic Recovery Plan.
Although the President is satisfied that “diversification
efforts have resulted in improved output particularly in agriculture and solid
minerals sectors” and the relative exchange rate stability has improved
manufacturing sector performance”, he believes more discipline is needed going
forward.
“We have got to get used to discipline and direction in economic
management,” he said, adding, “The days of business, as usual, are numbered”.
With unemployment at record levels in the country, the President is keen to see more enterprising people rising to the task of nation-building.
With unemployment at record levels in the country, the President is keen to see more enterprising people rising to the task of nation-building.
“I am today appealing to enterprising Nigerians with ideas and
unemployed graduates and other able-bodied and literate men and women with
ideas not to just sit and wait for employment from the government or the
Organized Private Sector,” he said. “Great nations are built by enterprising
people who turn their hands to anything that circumstances dictate.”
https://www.channelstv.com/2018/01/01/rice-imports-will-stop-year-says-buhari/
Consumers brace for higher prices
January 1, 2018, 12:05 AM
By The Business Section
Despite government assurances
that the impact of the higher excise tax that took effect today, New Year 2018,
will be short term, consumers, particularly the marginalized and those in the
“laylayan” (fringes) will have to bear the brunt of taxation.
Deputy BSP Gov. Diwa Guinigundo
(FEDERICO CRUZ / MANILA BULLETIN)
(FEDERICO CRUZ / MANILA BULLETIN)
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said the package 1 of the governments’
comprehensive tax reform program (CTRP) under the Tax Reform Acceleration and
Inclusion (TRAIN) Act will add to inflation pressure particularly on fuel
prices however the impact – based on their assessments – is short term in
nature.
“We are indeed expecting some
inflation pressure from TRAIN especially coming from the higher excise tax on
fuel,” said Guinigundo. “That means the build up could be coming from the
supply side. This argues for the BSP’s continued vigilance against potential
second round effects from higher fuel taxes namely demand for higher transport
fares and higher wages.”
Guinigundo said the central bank
is prepared to adjust monetary policy “when these demand-driven secondary
effects are triggered by higher taxes impinging on the supply side.”
Inflation
As such, the BSP sees an
adjustment of one percentage point (or up to 1.2 percentage point) to inflation
rate next year and less than a half percentage point in 2019 with the new tax
rules.
However, Guinigundo said the
35-percent tariff on rice and thereby scrapping the quantitative restriction
(QR) on the staple commodity, will match any impact of the tax reform program
over the long term. The removal of the QR will lower rice prices and in turn
lower inflation rate by one percentage point.
“As I said and I say it again, a
sure game changer is the proposed bill on tarrification of rice imports and
elimination of quantitative restrictions on rice imports,” he remarked. “If
this bill is approved into law, we should be seeing significant reduction on
rice prices and on general average of consumer prices given that rice accounts
for nearly nine percent of the total consumer basket.”
Guinigundo added that potential
inflation risk from tax measures “can be matched by almost the same amount of
consumer price reduction as a result of the rice tarrification bill.”
On the recommendation of the BSP,
the inter-agency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) will keep the
current inflation target band of two percent to four percent until 2020.
Guinigundo said they are
confident that growth alongside tax reforms would lead to a demand-side
inflation which remains manageable based on their assessment.
“We need to go beyond these
one-off, short-term impact of TRAIN on both inflation and growth,” he stressed.
“Taxes are being raised to fund infrastructure and other social projects
including better health and education. In short, we are all investing in order
to increase the country’s productive capacity. We should be seeing further
expansion of our potential output which should mitigate the collateral effect
on inflation over the long run.”
With the National Government
investing heavily on infrastructure development, the BSP expects the economy’s
productive capacity “would help temper inflation pressures.”
The BSP is sure the current
manageable inflation environment could be sustained over the medium term.
Oil Prices
All-time high oil price hikes of
P2.50 to P3.00 per liter plus value-added tax (VAT) will whack consumers in the
head at the strike of the New Year, due to the enforced excise tax increases
under the TRAIN Act of the Duterte Administration.
As advised by the oil companies,
gasoline prices will be up by P2.65 per liter plus 12 percent VAT so that runs
up to P2.968 per liter hike; and diesel will increase by P2.50 per liter and
with 12 percent VAT that will be P2.80 per liter jump in prices.
For kerosene which is a
socially-sensitive commodity being used even in households of rural areas, the
anticipated increase is P3.00 per liter plus 12 percent VAT, so that will sum
up to P3.36 per liter; while for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), it will be an
increase of R1.00 per kilogram or P11 for the standard 11-kilogram cylinder
with additional VAT of P1.32/tank.
The TRAIN-induced increases will
be on top of the estimated adjustments in prices this week as based on cost
movements in the world market, according to the oil companies.
“As per TRAIN, the increases are
due January 1, so it will be a paradoxical and agonizing ‘Happy New Year’
greeting to the consumers,” one oil firm has asserted.
The price hike increases under
TRAIN will be roughly four-fold compared to when VAT was jacked up to
12-percent in 2006, with upward adjustments at the petroleum pumps then just at
P0.55 to P0.70 per liter.
Historically, according to the
oil industry players, the TRAIN price hikes would be “the most punishing one
that will slap consumers in the face, which is ironically coming as they
celebrate the New Year.”
For diesel, the increase will not
just be felt directly by motorists, but will also impact eventually in
electricity rates as this is the fuel that generally runs the peaking
facilities in the country’s power system and also the technology deployment in
many off-grid areas, according to the Department of Energy.
“Consumers then will be hit on
three fronts: one, is with fuels filled up at gas pumps, two, in the generation
rate component of the electric bills; and three, the subsidy component of power
rates for the SPUG (Small Power Utilities Group) areas,” the energy department
added. Cost impacts on power rates are still being calculated.
As culled from the DOF’s primer
on fuel excise tax increases, it was stated that “based on the family income
and expenditure survey in 2015, the top 10-percent richest households consume
51 percent of total fuel consumption.”
https://business.mb.com.ph/2018/01/01/consumers-brace-for-higher-prices/2:00 AM, January 01, 2018 / LAST MODIFIED: 12:00 AM, January 01,
2018
2017 marked by consumers' woes
Since early morning yesterday,
Shaikh Masum Bellah has been recollecting the year that just passed by and the
factors that affected his and his family's wellbeing.
And one such event was the
spiralling prices of rice and the other essential commodities in 2017.
“As consumers, we had a painful
year. We had to spend almost double of what we spent the previous year,” said
Bellah, who works as manager of a shrimp wholesale depot at Rupsha, Khulna.
“Rice became dearer. Most of the vegetables
were also beyond the reach of common people. Onion prices still remain high,”
said the 40-year-old, giving a rough outline of the rise in the cost of his
daily shopping basket.
Consequently, many low and
fixed-income families like Bellah's had to shelve their plans to buy material
things like clothes or furniture because of the high prices of essentials.
Many had to borrow to manage the
necessities as income did not increase in line with the spiral in living costs,
particularly the price of foodstuff.
“So, it was really a very tough
year for consumers,” said Bellah, the sole breadwinner in a family of six.
Inflation, which is a measure of
the consumer prices of a basket of commodities, began to rise from January last
year after dipping to 5.03 percent in December 2016.
In October 2017, inflation stood at
6.4 percent, according to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.
Analysts linked the spiral to the
food price hike in 2017, mainly of the staple rice.
For example, the retail price of a
kilogramme of coarse rice was Tk 35.84 in January this year in Dhaka city,
according to the Food and Agriculture Organization.
The price of the coarse grain,
mainly consumed by the low-income families, hit Tk 47.78 in September in Dhaka
city for crop damage from recurrent floods and depleted public stocks, the FAO
data shows.
Prices began to rise early this
month once again after a marginal decline in September following increased
imports upon cutbacks on import duty on the staple to 2
percent.
Yesterday, the retail prices of
coarse grain was Tk 44-46 per kilogramme, 6 percent higher from a month earlier
and 23 percent from a year earlier, according to data collected by the
state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh.
The prices of medium and fine
grains yesterday were 22 percent and 30 percent higher year-on-year
respectively.
The overall cost of living has
risen about 7-8 percent in 2017 from a year ago, said Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan,
general secretary of the Consumers Association of Bangladesh.
“Consumers suffered in 2017 for
occasional increase in the prices of key commodities and services,” he said,
while also citing the increase in the prices of electricity and
gas.
“Not only the poor and low-income
people, we also had to bear the brunt of the high prices,” he said, adding that
the government tried to curb the price hikes but could not succeed fully.
He echoed Bellah: people employed
in the private sector did not see a rise in their income in line with the
increase in the cost of living.
“We did not notice a surge in new
employments during the outgoing year. In many instances, people lost jobs.
Income and employment did not rise to that extent,” he added.
Citing the Labour Force Survey 2016
released by the BBS this year, Zahid Hussain, lead economist of the World
Bank's Dhaka office, said data reflects a significant slowdown in job creation
since 2013.
Bhuiyan thanked the government for
not implementing the new VAT law that seeks to apply 15 percent uniform VAT on
goods and services, doing away with the multiple rates.
“The imposition of a flat rate
would have had a negative implication for us,” he said.
Quazi Shahabuddin, former director
general of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, said the increase
in price of rice adversely affected the food security of the poor and
low-income people.
“Rice prices rose to a high level
partly because of natural disasters and partly for delayed response by the
government.”
He went on to cite the reduction of
import duty twice to increase the supply of the grain and augment public stocks
as an example of the government's not too brisk response.
“The duty could have been reduced
earlier to curb spike. Had this been done, the sufferings of the low-income
people would have been less.”
It appears that the government
responses were delayed from a sense of complacency because they did not see any
crisis in recent years, Shahabuddin said.
Foodgrain stocks at public godowns
dipped to as low as 5.61 lakh tonnes, including rice which reached 2.45 lakh
tonnes in May, one of the lowest in recent years.
The government started importing in
the second half of the year to replenish stocks to intervene in the market and
slashed duty to facilitate private sector imports. On December 27, cereal stock
was 7.67 lakh tonnes. Of that, stock of rice was 4.73 lakh tonnes.
Rice imports by both public and
private sector rose to 15 times year-on-year to 21.55 lakh tonnes in
July-December of the current fiscal, according to food ministry data.
Yet, prices remain high for
increased import costs and speculations that the ongoing Aman harvesting period
was witnessing a reduction in yield.
BIDS DG KAS Murshid said the
increased prices of rice have affected people's expenditure on non-rice items.
“There is an adverse implication on dietary diversity and nutrition.”
The year ended on a pessimistic
note as various indicators such as exports and the performance of banking
sector were not encouraging.
“Overall, it is giving rise to some
concerns and worries,” he added.
M Asaduzzaman, distinguished fellow
of BIDS, said farmers received relatively better prices in 2017.
“Poor people suffered but the
prices were not beyond their tolerable limit,” he said, while forecasting the
prices of cereal to drop once a bumper boro is harvested.
Economists suggested the government
focus on bagging a record boro crop this year by ensuring timely availability
of fertiliser, diesel and electricity as well as extension services to farmers'
doorstep.
Bhuiyan also said he was expecting
the government to be active enough to take measures to keep the prices stable
ahead of the national elections.
“There is big difference in prices
between the wholesale and retail markets. The government should monitor the
market regularly and take steps to reduce the gap. This will be helpful for
us.”
http://www.thedailystar.net/business/economy/2017-marked-consumers-woes-1513219
Congress to
approve business-friendly bills
January 1, 2018
Leaders of the House of
Representatives vowed to pass early this year all pending measures that would
help promote the Philippines as a business-friendly economy.
The top priorities include the
ease of doing business bill, “Part B” of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and
Inclusion (TRAIN), the measure seeking to abolish quantitative restriction (QR)
on rice and the bill seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution.
The lower chamber is seen
focusing on its legislative priorities despite the hearings on the impeachment
complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes A. Sereno.
House Committee on Trade and
Industry Chairman Ferjenel Biron of the Fourth District of Iloilo said the
congressional bicameral conference committee tackling the proposal seeking to
establish a national policy on ease of doing business will consolidate the
Senate and House versions when session resumes on January 15.
Biron said the measure is needed
to simplify issuances of licenses, clearances or permits to business
entities. Earlier, the World Bank released its “Ease of Doing
Business Report 2018,” which showed the country’s ranking at 113th, from 99th
in the 2017 edition.
“The purpose of this bill is to
provide an easy, simple, straightforward and trouble-free avenue for
entrepreneurs, micro, small and medium businesses and ordinary citizens who
would like to venture into business in the country,” Biron said.
Rep. Luis Raymund F. Villafuerte
Jr. of the Second District of Camarines Sur, one of the authors of the
bill, said the Philippines ranked as the second-most favored destination for
foreign direct investments in Southeast Asia.
However, Villafuerte said the
Philippines’s rank in ease of doing business is one of the lowest in the world
in 2017, at 171st, out of 185 countries. The House version of the bill aims to
provide a business environment that is conducive for the establishment and
operation of enterprises in the country.
The measure also intends to
promote transparency in the government with regard to business registration and
other manner of public transactions, to reduce red tape and expedite
permitting, licensing and other similar transactions in the government.
It seeks to ensure timely and
expeditious processing of business requirements by national government agencies
(NGAs) and local government units (LGUs).
The bill calls for the creation
of the National Policy in the Ease of Doing Business, which is a comprehensive
and regulatory management policy to improve competitiveness and ease undue
bureaucratic and regulatory burden to business entities.
It also provides for the
creation of the Ease of Doing Business Commission, an attached agency of the
Office of the President, which shall be the policy-making body on business
registration and regulatory management and shall set the overall direction for
the implementation of the National Policy on Ease of Doing Business.
It mandates further that the
prescribed processing time shall in no case be longer than one working day for
barangay governments.
For NGAs and LGUs approving a
simple application, the prescribed processing time shall be three working days
while, for national government agencies and LGUs in case of complex
applications, the prescribed processing time shall be 10 working days from the
time of receipt of the application.
For special types of businesses
that require clearances, accreditation, or licenses issued by government
agencies, including regulatory agencies as provided for by law, where
technical evaluation or such necessary condition is required in the processing
of license, clearances or permits, the prescribed processing time shall in no
case be longer than 30 working days or as determined by the government agency
or instrumentality concerned, whichever is shorter.
Tax package
Rep. Dakila Carlo E. Cua of
the Lone District of Quirino, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and
Means, said Congress will pass in the first quarter of 2018 Part B of Package 1
of the TRAIN.
Cua said Part B of Package 1 will
focus on the amnesty package, which include the estate tax amnesty and a
general tax amnesty.
The proposed adjustments in the
Motor Vehicle Users Charge and amendments to the bank secrecy law and automatic
exchange of information are also included in the Part B of Package 1 of TRAIN.
Currently, there are separate
pending bills in the lower chamber seeking for estate tax amnesty, a general
tax amnesty and amendments to the bank secrecy law. The Part A of the TRAIN
Act, which is the first of five tax packages of the Duterte
administration, is targeting to raise P130 billion in revenues to finance
the administration’s infrastructure program.
Rice tariffication
House Committee on Agriculture
and Food Chairman Jose T. Panganiban Jr. of Anac-IP said lawmakers will also
start discussing the measure scrapping the rice QR and converting it into tariffs
at the plenary early this year. The passage of the bill allowing the
tariffication of rice is included in the priority bills identified as urgent by
the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.
The House Committee on Ways and
Means and the House Committee on Agriculture and Food have already endorsed the
measure for plenary approval before Congress went on a Christmas break.
The House Committee on
Agriculture and Food has set the bound tariff rate for rice imports outside the
minimum access volume (MAV) at 180 percent.
Under the bill, the Philippines
will impose a bound tariff rate of 35 percent for rice originating from the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations regardless of its volume. Manila
would also impose a 40-percent bound tariff most-favored nation rate for
in-quota rice imports from countries outside the Asean.
Once the substitute bill is
enacted into law, the country’s MAV for rice shall revert to its 2012 level at
350,000 metric tons (MT), from the current 805,000 MT.
The Philippines is under pressure
to convert its QR on rice into ordinary Customs duties after its waiver on the
special treatment on rice expired on June 30. The World Trade Organization
(WTO) General Council approved the waiver, which allowed Manila to keep its rice
QR until June 30, on the condition that the Philippines will subject its
rice imports to ordinary Customs duties by July 1.
In March the Philippines informed
WTO members that it is facing delays in converting the QR because it has not
amended RA 8178, which imposed the import caps on rice indefinitely. As a sign
of “goodwill” to its trading partners, President Duterte signed Executive Order
23 in July to extend the concessions made by the Philippines in securing the
waiver in 2014.
Con-ass
Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said
Congress will convene into a constituent assembly in 2018 to craft a new
constitution that would pave the way for the shift to a federal form of
government, in line with one of the President’s campaign promises.
Alvarez said leaders of the House
of Representatives and the Senate agreed to meet to lay down their timetable
and determine the best time for Congress to convene into a constituent assembly
(Con-ass) for the purpose of drafting a new federal constitution.
The House committee on
constitutional amendments has created four technical working groups
(TWGs), which will draft the Philippine Federal Constitution.
The PDP Federalism Institute also
turned over to the committee the draft “Constitution of the Federal Republic of
the Philippines,” for consideration by the various TWGs created by the House
panel.
Rep. Roger G. Mercado of the Lone
District of Southern Leyte, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional
Reforms, has called for the swift adoption of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR)
9 convening Congress into a constituent assembly. The HCR 9, consolidates 29
various bills and resolutions calling for the immediate revision of the 1987
Constitution.
Mercado said the high public
trust ratings of Duterte is a strong reason to push for the proposal.
“We have conducted nine hearings
and four public consultations nationwide, which showed that there is a need to
amend or revise the 1987 Constitution,” Mercado added. He said Con-ass is the
most practical, least expensive and fastest mode of amending the Constitution.
Accomplishments
Meanwhile, House Majority Leader
Rodolfo C. Fariñas Sr. of Ilocos Norte said a total of 8,528 bills have been
filed since the 17th Congress opened in July 2016, with the figure representing
6,911 House Bills (HB) and 1,617 House Resolutions (HR).
Fariñas said the House processed
a total of 2,100 measures in the past 145 session days of the First Regular
Session and since its opening for the Second Regular Session of the 17th
Congress, or an average of 14 measures processed per day.
As of December 14, 2017, he said
there were 39 measures enacted into law, which include:
■ The 2018 General
Appropriations Act.
■ The “Tax Reform for
Acceleration and Inclusion” bill.
■ HB 5670,“An Act
Strengthening Assistance To All Farmers By Providing Free Irrigation Service
Fee And All Other Similar Or Related Fees Or Charges.”
■ HB 4863, “An Act Strengthening
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation And Detection Group
(PNP-CIDG) By Restoring Its Authority To Issue Subpoena Ad Testificandum Or
Subpoena Duces Tecum.”
■ “An Act Declaring
December 8 Of Every Year A Special Non-Working Holiday In The Entire Country To
Commemorate The Feast Of The Immaculate Conception Of Mary, The Principal
Patroness Of The Philippines.”
Meanwhile, measures that are
still pending in the bicameral committee are:
■ HB 684, “An Act Amending
Republic Act 53, As Amended, Otherwise Known As ‘An Act To Exempt The
Publisher, Editor Or Reporter Of Any Publication From Revealing The Source Of
Published News Or Information Obtained In Confidence’ “By Including Within Its
Coverage Journalists From Broadcast, News Agencies And Internet Publications.”
■ HB 6452, “An Act
Establishing A National Mental Health Policy For The Purpose Of Enhancing The
Delivery Of Integrated Mental Health Services, Promoting And Protecting The
Rights Of Persons Utilizing Psychiatric, Neurologic And Psychosocial Health
Services And Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
Meanwhile, for enrollment is HB
6016, “Act Regulating The Issuance, Use And Redemption Of Gift Checks, Gift
Certificates And Gift Cards.” The House also adopted Senate Bill 209, “An Act
Declaring The Twenty-Fifth Day Of August Of Every Year As The National Tech-Voc
Day.”
Other major accomplishments of
the House include the approval on third and final reading of 354 bills;
adoption of 100 resolutions, including those calling for motu proprio inquiry;
consolidation/substitution of 1,017 measures; and referral of 549 resolution on
inquiries.
The lower chamber has adopted
several resolutions, which include HR 1050, expressing full support for the
President for declaring martial law in Mindanao; Resolutions on Impeachment, HR
1015 dismissing the impeachment complaint against Duterte and HR 1397
dismissing the impeachment complaint filed by Jacinto Paras and Ferdinand
Topacio against Commission on Elections Chairman Andres D. Bautista;
Resolutions of Both House 11 extending martial law in Mindanao or Proclamation
216 until December 2018.
Third reading
Among the bills and resolutions
approved by the House on third reading, and awaiting Senate action, are:
■ HB 5811, “Act Providing
For A Magna Carta Of The Poor.”
■ HB 691, “An Act
Simplifying The Procedure In The Disposition Of Public Agricultural Lands.”
■ HB 5750, “An Act Defining
The Offenses Of Discharge Of Firearms And Indiscriminate Firing Of Firearms And
Providing Stiffer Penalties Therefor.”
■ HB 5792,
“Institutionalizing The Balik Scientist Program And Appropriating Funds
Therefor.”
■ HB 5818 “An Act
Regulating The Practice Of Employers In Posting Notices Of Termination Of
Employment Of Former Employees In Newspapers, Social Media And Other Public
Information Venues.”
■ HB 6024 , “An Act
Recognizing The Observance Of July 25 Of Every Year As The National
Campus Press Freedom Day.”
■ HB 6152, “An Act
Increasing The Normal Work Hours Per Day Under A Compressed Work
Week Scheme.”
Week Scheme.”
■ HB 5675, “An Act Allowing
The Rectification Of Simulated Birth Records And Prescribing Administrative
Adoption Proceedings For The Purpose.”
■ HB 6112, “Act
Mandating The Installation Of Safety Monitoring Devices In Public Utility
Vehicles And Providing Penalties For Violation Thereof.”
■ HB 5784, HB 5784, “An Act
Providing Universal Health Care For All Filipinos And Appropriating Funds
Therefor.”
■ HB 5828, “An Act
Providing For The Definition Of Public Utility, Further Amending For The
Purpose Commonwealth Act 146, Otherwise Known As The Public Service Act, As
Amended.”
■ HB 6221, “An Act
Establishing The Filipino Identification System.”
■ HB 6177, “An Act
Rationalizing The Income Requirements For The Creation Of A Municipality, The
Declaration Of Highly Urbanized Status In The Case Of Component Cities And The
Creation Of A Province.”
■ HB 6283, “An Act
Recognizing The Observance Of November 17 Of Every Year As National
Students’ Day.”
■ HB 4982, “An Act
Prohibiting Discrimination On The Basis Of Sexual Orientation Or Gender
Identity Or Expression And Providing Penalties Therefor.”
■ HB 5747, “An Act
Establishing The Coconut Farmers And Industry Development Trust Fund And
Providing For Its Management And Utilization.”
■ HB 6276, “An Act Ensuring
The Continuous And Uninterrupted Transmission And Distribution Of Electricity,
The Protection Of The Integrity And Reliability Of The Transmission And
Distribution Systems, And The Promotion Of Public Safety, And Providing
Penalties In Violation Thereof.”
■ HB 5777, “An Act
Strengthening The National And Local Health And Nutrition Programs For Pregnant
And Lactating Women, Adolescent Girls Of Reproductive Age And Teen-Age Mothers,
Infants And Young Children In The First 1,000 Days, And Appropriating Funds
Therefor.”
■ HB 5799, “An Act
Reverting Fish Ponds Which Have Been Unutilized Or Abandoned For A Period Of
Three Years To Forest Lands.”
■ HB 1530, “An Act
Requiring Government Agencies To Indicate The Blood Type Of Individuals In The
Identification Cards, Certificates And Licenses.”
■ HB 6396, “An Act
Instituting Policies For The Protection And Welfare Of Caregivers In The
Practice Of Their Profession.”
■ HB 6571, “An Act
Establishing A Medical Scholarship And Return Service Program For Deserving
Students And Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
■ HB 6589, “An Act
Rationalizing The Requirements Imposed By The Department Of Agrarian Reform
Regarding Land Registration To Facilitate Speed And Efficiency In Land
Registration.”
■ HB 6590, ”An Act Amending
Section 13 Of Republic Act No. 3019, As Amended, Entitled The ‘Anti-Graft And
Corrupt Practices Act.”
■ HB 6578, “An Act
Establishing A Retirement Benefit System In The Office Of The Ombudsman,
Augmenting Its Employee Benefits, And Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
■ HB 159, “An Act
Strengthening The Right Of Government To Expropriate Lands For Socialized
Housing.”
■ HB 6550, “An Act Instituting
The Magna Carta Of Day Care Workers And Providing Funds Therefor.”
■ HB 6557, “An Act
Promoting Open Access In Data Transmission, Providing Additional Powers To The
National Telecommunications Commission.”
■ HB 6558, “An Act
Strengthening The Powers Of The National Telecommunications Commission,
Amending For The Purpose Republic Act 7925, Otherwise Known As The Public
Telecommunications Policy Act Of The Philippines.”
■ HB 6572, “An Act
Institutionalizing The Philippine Qualifications Framewor, Establishing The
National Coordinating Council And Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
■ HB 1616, “An Act Exempting The
System Loss Charge Component In The Sale Of Electricity By Distribution
Companies And Electric Cooperatives From The Coverage Of The Value Added Tax.”
■HB 6570, “An Act Prohibiting
Leaving Children Below Eight Years Old Unattended In Motor Vehicles.”
■ HB 6617, “Act
Strengthening The Philippine Comprehensive Policy On Human Immunodeficiency
Virus (HIV) And Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome [Aids] Prevention,
Treatment, Care And Support, And Establishing The Philippine National HIV And
Aids Plan”.
■ HB 6604, “An Act
Regulating The Rates Of Political Propaganda On Television, Radio And Print
During An Electoral Campaign Period.”
■ HB 6702, “An Act Regulating The
Importation, Manufacture, Distribution And Sale Of Children’s Products
Containing Hazardous Chemicals, And Providing Penalties For Violation Thereof.”
■ HB 6714, “An Act
Regulating The Practice Of Food Technology In The Philippines, Creating For The
Purpose The Board Of Food Technology, And Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
■ HB 3222, “An Act
Establishing A National Vision Screening Program For Kindergarten Pupils And
Appropriating Funds Therefor.”
■ House Joint Resolution
18, “Joint Resolution Authorizing The Increase In Base Pay Of Military And
Uniformed Personnel In The Government, And For Other Purposes.”
https://businessmirror.com.ph/congress-to-approve-business-friendly-bills/
Booming agric, bumper growth
On: January
1, 2018
Experts expect the agricultural
sector to gain momentum this year, boost incomes, complement the continued
fiscal stimulus and an upturn in merchandise exports. This, however, will
depend on policy reforms to promote services liberalisation, and
public infrastructure management. DANIEL ESSIET reports.
To experts, agriculture
will yield substantial growth and more revenues this year.
They based their
projection on an enabling environment that would support economic
growth, strong fiscal consolidation, low account deficit, growing foreign
direct investment (FDI), low inflation and higher wages in rural areas.
Above all, they said, these would
depend on the Federal Government’s ability to sustain its reform’s momentum.
Speaking with The
Nation, Vice-Chancellor Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB),
Abeokuta, Prof Felix Kolawole Salako, said the reforms will lead to higher
long-run growth.
He noted that the government
efforts to liberalise the agricultural sector and foster a friendly investment
climate will help attract investment flows.
According to him, the Federal Government
has put its full weight behind a national strategy designed to make food
production an even larger engine of inclusive economic growth.
Salako said steps taken by the
government to support sustainable rice production will improve food
security and livelihoods, while also safeguarding natural resources.
Despite some hiccups, Salako
believes that continued reform progress will help the country remain one of
most dynamic emerging economies.
According to him, the Ogun State
and the Federal Government have convened a multi-stakeholder effort to refine
key elements of the strategy, which includes developing rice varieties with
high export value, adopting advanced crop management techniques, and more
intensive use of machines and other technologies in rice farming.
Citing Ogun, Salako said the
state is working to help farmers participate in “viable, safe and dignified”
entrepreneurial opportunities in the rice value chain.
Cocoa Association of Nigeria(CAN)
Board of Trustees Chairman, Dr. Victor Iyama, expects this year to
be that of consolidation – with the results of all policy initiatives taken
beginning to take shape.
He said the agricultural sector
will remain the biggest job creator. This is because the sector is
significantly improving both in terms of its output and its diversification.
According to him, the
agricultural sector had been the biggest positive contributor to the growth.
In 2016, agriculture was recorded
as the top performing sector with the growth of 4.54 percent, again repeating
its performance of a 4.53 percent growth in Q2.
Last year, from 3.4 per cent in
Q1 to 3.0 per cent in Q2, the sector grew to 12.5 per cent y/y in nominal
terms, compared to 9.8 per cent in Q1’17.
Iyama, also the Federation of
Agricultural Commodity Association of Nigeria(FACAN) President, said more
youths would be attracted to agriculture as there are initiatives
to get them to learn to adapt solutions in their areas of interest, as well as
receive hands-on training to bring transformational change to their communities
through agriculture.
National Cashew Association of
Nigeria(NCAN) Publicity Secretary, Anga Sotonye, noted that there would
be more emphasis on access to credit and financing. This stems from the
awareness that more funds, in terms of both loans and grants, need to be
supplied to the sector for it to reach its full potential.
Sotonye said the economy might be
off to a good start this year with improved exports pushing growth prospects.
According to experts, government
interventions are expected to create new opportunities for people in
communities and increasing family incomes.
Interventions
There are many
programmes to fund agriculture. These include the Rice Intervention Fund, a
loan programme targeting processing facilities; the Agricultural Credit Support
Scheme; the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria, which works with small
and medium-sized enterprises; the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme; and the
Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL).
Export expansion grant scheme
The Nigerian Export Promotion
Council (NEPC) has resumed processing baseline data for the reintroduced Export
Expansion Grant (EEG) scheme.
Sotonye expects the Federal
Government to re-introduce the EEG scheme this year to salvage the agro
exports sector.
According to him, the policy will
led to an increase in value chain expansion in terms of agro processing which
resulted in significant new investments and job creation.
NIRSAL
The Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk
Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL) was introduced to provide
affordable financing to actors in the agricultural value chains. Recently, the
CBN initiated a public-private sector initiative with the Bankers’ Committee
and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide
N75billion as loan to farmers under the scheme.
The Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS)
To enhance the Commercial
Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) as well as mitigate the risks faced by
financial institutions in financing the agriculture sector, the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN) has reviewed the guidelines for the scheme.
The review affected sections 16
and 17 of the guidelines and introduced significant changes, including a
requirement that, henceforth, the Nigeria Agriculture Insurance Corporation
(NAIC) should provide insurance for all agricultural facilities/projects under
the CACS in line with the NAIC Act.
In furtherance of the revision,
the CBN has directed the commencement of insurance premium payments by
borrowers under the CACS scheme. The CBN has so far released N501.697
billion under CACS. The fund was deployed to boost 526 agriculture projects
across the country. Total repayment under the scheme was N251.156 billion for
526 projects, of which 281 projects had been repaid by last September
Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP)
The Anchor Borrowers’
Programme (ABP) is the government’s flagship agricultural financing initiative.
Launched in the last quarter of
2015, the programme offers loans and farm input to smallholder farmers
producing key crops to scale up and commercialise their operations, and
connect them with large-scale processors.
The CBN believes the ABP will
have a dramatic impact on the local economy, and has set a target of creating
at least one million jobs in the processing segment through the scheme by 2020.
Rice production
The Executive Director, Risk
Management and Finance, Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Prince Niyi Akenzua, said
Nigeria has saved over N216 billion from rice import from Thailand and other
countries, since the nation’s domestic mass production flooded the markets
under the ABP.
Akenzua disclosed this in Ibadan
when he led some officials of the bank on a visit to Oyo State Governor Abiola
Ajimobi. He said the figure represented a fraction of a staggering $22 billion
(N7.92 trillion) spent on food imports yearly prior to the advent of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
He said: “The pilot scheme was so
successful that $600million was saved from rice importation due to massive rice
production in the country.
“One or two rice millers in
Thailand have closed down because Nigeria, which has always been their major
importer, has stopped importing their rice.”
Also states, such
as Lagos, Kebbi, Ogun and Kano, have been in the forefront in rice
production.
Ogun has intensified the
production of Ofada rice.
Governor Ibikunle Amosun said
the state can produce and process about 65, 700 metric tons of Ofada rice
yearly, with a strong intention to expand production in no distant time to
create more direct and indirect jobs in Ogun state.
“We are intensifying our
contribution to the attainment of the Federal Government efforts in increasing
domestic rice production,” ,he said during the commissioning of MITROS Ofada
rice in Abeokuta recently.
The CBN also has formed strategic
partnerships with agricultural commodity associations to expand the
implementation of ABP.
Its Acting Director
Corporate Communications Department (CCD), Isaac Okorafor, said the strategic
partnership had begun to yield results with the commencement of the Rice
Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme with the
Bank of Agriculture where about 300,000 rice farmers across 20 States would be
supported under the ABP during the upcoming dry season cultivation.
The ABP has, so far, achieved
success in terms of outreach and coverage, making it one of the most successful
CBN development finance interventions to date. About N45.5 billion has been
released through 13 Participating Financial Institutions for over 218,000
farmers cultivating nine commodities across 30 states.
Information Minister, Lai
Mohammed, said Nigeria will attain self-sufficiency in rice production
this year. According to him, Nigeria is inching closer to self-sufficiency in
rice production due to the successes in the local production.
Muhammed cited a report by a Thai
rice export association to support his claim.”In fact, the Thailand Rice
Exporters Association revealed that within just two years – from September 2015
to last September, Nigeria’s rice import dropped from 644,131 Metric tonnes to
just about 21,000MT.
“There is more good news to
report: The increased rice production has, in turn, led to the establishment of
rice mills, including the 120,000MT WACOT Mill in Kebbi and the 1,000,000MT
Dangote Rice Mill,” Mohammed said.
Mohammed added that Nigeria
targets the production of seven million metric tonnes of rice this year
Thailand to establish rice milling plants
Mohammed said: “Thailand have
shown interest in establishing rice milling plants in Nigeria, and this is sure
to further boost rice production.’’
Challenges
According to experts, agriculture
has continued to face several impediments in the form of lower capacity,
regulatory and policy challenges and corporate debt overhang. However, the push
to increase infrastructure spending and to accelerate structural reforms will
eventually drive a sustained rebound of private investments. However, credit
growth, particularly to industry remains weak.
NIRSAL Managing Director, Mr
Aliyu Abdulhameed has lamented that Nigeria lacks the full capital to actualise
its potentials in agriculture.
At the first yearly
NACCIMA-NIRSAL Agribusiness and Policy Linkage Conference with the theme: Implementing
the agriculture component of the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) in
Abuja, Abdulhameed noted that this development threatens the ERGP, which
aims at increasing yeraly agricultural growth from 2011-2015 output of 4.1 per
cent to 8.3 per cent by December 2020.
According to him, “We are
naturally endowed with land, water, climate and the market and at very
competitive levels, but we lack the full capital to actualise these
opportunities. To leap frog the development as desired by the agricultural
sector, fully identified actors have to be attracted into Nigeria.”
He said though the country lacked
the funds for infrastructure, logistics, storage and processing, NIRSAL was
established to share all funding risks across the value chain.
Poor input
Experts say except the government
does something, farmers will still face the challenge of poor input that will
result in declining yields across key crops. They say yield growth can
only be achieved by increasing input, and by improving input productivity
through the use of technology.
Farmers recorded low yield of
most key crops, including cassava, cocoa beans and palm fruits, a reflection of
low utilisation of improved seedlings, agrochemicals and poor adoption of
technology.
Infrastructure challenges
Food transporters said with bad
roads, which compound their problem, they lose lives and goods worth between
N250 million and N300million weekly, which consequently affects prices of food
items in the market. They said most of the roads connecting farm gates to
cities are in bad shape, stressing that unless the government starts massive
rehabilitation, the prices of food will continue to soar. The food transporters
explained: “If roads are fixed and made motorable, prices of food would come
down and that would also reduce post-harvest losses and waste because a lot of
food items perish at the farm gates due to this problem.
“For instance, the Jebba Bridge
has been damaged due to lack of maintenance and rehabilitation and trucks
cannot ply the road from the North to Lagos, and they have to go through the
Abuja-Lokoja Road to Lagos, which is also in a deplorable condition and this
has further made food dealers and vendors to record high losses of goods and
lives. Even the road from Niger to Oyo is impassable and is in terrible
condition.”
Prospects
According to global research and
consultancy firm, Oxford Business Group (OBG), despite any adverse
developments in the country, it remains a key investment destination in Africa.
Speaking during the launch of its
new report titled: “The Report: Nigeria 2017”, OBG Editor-in-Chief, Mr.
Oliver Cornock, stated: “Nigeria remains an appealing destination for investors
and the fact that growth has begun to pick up following a slower period for the
economy will provide the country with a welcome boost, as its efforts to
develop and diversify the economy gains pace.”
He saids the report explored
moves to boost industrialisation and diversification, to steer the country
towards economic revival. The report further explored some areas of the economy
that have remained resilient in difficult times, such as agriculture, which has
become a major employer and is benefiting from the relaxing of lending
constraints. The report also examined the key part that a regulatory overhaul
should play in helping to tackle the challenges that the sectors face ahead of
the implementation of new infrastructure programme, while analysing the
government’s far-reaching plans to modernise the country’s long-neglected
public transport system. It considered both the opportunities that the project
pipeline will signal for investors and the difficulties in bringing the private
sector on board for ventures.
N118.98b budgetary allocation to agric
As part of its commitment to
diversify the economy, the Federal Government has proposed N118.98billion as
budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector this year.
This amount, however, is an
improvement on the N103.79 billion allotted to the sector in 2017 budget.
Meanwhile, analysts said to
achieve economic diversification, with a large land mass of 923,768 km² and
many Nigerians venturing into farming, it is essential that the
government revisits its commitment made 15 years ago in the Maputo
Declaration, a pledge by African heads of state and government to allocate 10
per cent of their national budgets to the agric sector as part of the
Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).
CBN offers five per cent interest rate on agro equipment
The CBN considers the next phase
of the credit scheme, which will centre on cheap funding for importers and
fabricators of agro-allied machines.
At the launch of local Ofada Rice
tagged, ‘MITROS Rice’ produced by the Ogun State government, CBN Governor
Godwin Emefiele, declared: “We are going to be looking at providing cheap
funding at no more than five per cent for those who are going to be
assessing facilities to acquire agric equipment like threshers, like
harvesters, or those who will be going to fish farming, or those who will be
going into feed mills. Be rest assured that if you identify yourself, you will
be counted and we will support you.”
Emefiele declared that the next
phase of credit scheme by the apex bank would be a graduation from small holder
farmers to the importers and fabricators of agro-allied machines.
http://thenationonlineng.net/booming-agric-bumper-growth/
Just Jasmine: Lamb and vegetable biryani
+1
A real biryani is a traditional measure of skill in the Indian
kitchen – everyone has got their own style and everyone’s grandma makes ‘the
best one’. This recipe avoids the culinary stress while still giving you a
biryani-style experience. For a veggie-only variant (a great dish to clear out
the fridge in one go!), double the veggies and raisins, add a few carrots and
increase the cumin very slightly. Serve the veggie version at lunchtime with
yoghurt and nuts. For some flair at a dinner party I like to fry off an onion
slowly until soft and then on a higher heat until browned, adding some raisins
and cashews to sauté at the end. Use to garnish the top along with some extra
fresh herbs.
SERVES 4
3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
750g lamb (neck or shoulder) cut into 5cm cubes
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
5cm piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
½ large leek, finely chopped
¾ tsp sea salt
seeds of 5 cardamom pods, ground
1 bay leaf
1 large cinnamon stick
200ml water
½ large head of cauliflower (300g), cut into florets
1 aubergine, cubed
150g fresh or frozen peas
30g raisins
320g white basmati rice, rinsed
butter, for greasing
handful of coriander or mint leaves, plus extra for serving
·
Heat 1 tablespoon of the
ghee in a large ceramic-lined or seasoned cast-iron frying pan. Add half the
lamb and brown it all over. Remove and repeat with the second batch. Set aside.
·
In the same pan, melt
the remaining ghee over a medium heat. Sauté the coriander seeds, peppercorns
and cumin seeds for a few minutes until they start to pop. Add the garam masala
and turmeric and sauté for a few minutes. Add the ginger and leek and fry for a
minute before adding the lamb, salt, cardamom, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and
water.
·
Bring to the boil, cover
and cook for 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes. Check that the lamb is tender. Add the
cauliflower and aubergine, and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the peas and
raisins.
·
Meanwhile, cook the rice
according to the packet instructions.
·
Preheat the oven to 200C
(fan 180C/ gas 6). Grease a large lidded baking dish (around 25cm x 40cm in
size) with butter. Spoon in one third of the rice, cover with half of the lamb
curry and sprinkle with half of the fresh coriander or mint. Repeat these
layers again. Finally, add the remaining rice to the dish and dot with a little
more butter. At this stage, the dish can be refrigerated for a few hours, then
cooked when you’re ready.
·
Place in the oven and
heat through for 15 minutes if it is freshly prepared, or up to 40 minutes if you
are cooking from cold. Serve hot, garnished with extra coriander and mint.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/you/article-5217847/Just-Jasmine-Lamb-vegetable-biryani.html#ixzz52vPImFgS
DA research vessel delivers rice, corn to
Vinta-hit areas
ABS-CBN News
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources temporarily converted
one of its research vessels into a cargo ship to deliver rice and corn to
farmers hit by back-to-back tropical cyclones in Visayas and Mindanao,
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Sunday.
"In the absence of commercial vessels to ferry the seeds from
Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao, the research ship of BFAR, M/V DYCA DA-BFAR, was
converted into a cargo ship so the seeds could be delivered quickly to allow
the farmers to be able to replant," Piñol said in a statement.
"Most of the crops destroyed by the typhoons were just
planted and with the fast delivery of seeds and farm inputs, the farmers could
immediately replant and catch up with the planting calendar," he said.
Piñol said the provisions for typhoon-hit farmers are expected to
arrive at the Port of Dapitan on January 2.
Agriculture damage due to tropical storm Urduja is pegged at
P581.4 million, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
spokesperson Romina Marasigan said last week.
Tropical storm Vinta's wrath resulted in agricultural losses
amounting to P7.8 million in agriculture in Agusan del Sur alone, she said.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/31/17/da-research-vessel-delivers-rice-corn-to-vinta-hit-areashttp://tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lanka-seeks-emergency-fertiliser-pakistan-supplies-run-low
Bernas brushes aside claims of monopoly, neglecting local
farmers
|
December 31, 2017
Bernas disputes allegations by Padi Rescue that it has increased
imports of cheap low-grade rice for profits and caused local rice millers to
shut down.
PETALING JAYA: Padiberas Nasional Bhd (Bernas) has denied
allegations by a coalition of NGOs representing farmers that it is a monopoly
that has failed to protect and promote the local industry, and has unduly
favoured cheaper imported rice to escalate its own profits.
The national rice corporation told the Straits Times (ST) of
Singapore that it purchased only around 30% of the total paddy produced in the
country, with the rest processed by other rice millers.
It said in a ST report that it had not sought to sideline locally
produced rice.
It said its nationwide deduction rate of 23.6%, for portions of
products produced by farmers that are rejected for impurities, was far lower
than that alleged by Padi Rescue, an NGO.
The report said as part of its social obligations Bernas was
required to act as the buyer of last resort for locally grown paddy.
“At times, we have purchased rejected paddy of zero commercial
value from farmers,” Bernas was quoted as saying.
On Nov 29, parliamentary opposition leader and PKR president Dr
Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had urged the government to take steps to stop Bernas
from initiating legal action against Padi Rescue in connection with its
memorandum submitted to the prime minister on Oct 20.
The memorandum had called for the re-establishment of the National
Paddy and Rice Board (LPN), whose functions Bernas had taken over in 1994, to
regulate the national rice industry.
Bernas, which is controlled by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, is
currently the sole permit holder of rice imports in Malaysia.
According to the ST report, Padi Rescue also claimed that Bernas
had increased imports of cheap low-grade rice and caused small-scale rice
millers to shut down by monopolising the rice production chain.
It alleged that Bernas had not helped farmers and millers to
improve their lives economically, preferring instead to focus on maximising its
own profits.
Bernas was quoted as saying that it had been fulfilling its role
to assist farmers and millers by providing financial loans and aid schemes for
millers, and that its profits were justified as they were ploughed back to fund
these programmes.
Meanwhile, Amir Fareed Rahim, a political analyst at KRA Group,
was quoted as saying that paddy farmers and staple commodities were very
sensitive issues, especially for the rural vote bank in the Malay heartland.
“It is a critical issue for BN (Barisan Nasional) to try to
resolve, especially since Kedah – the country’s rice bowl – is a swing state
and one of the battlefronts in the upcoming election,” he said.
“Silence without attempting to resolve it will be very dangerous
(for the ruling BN),” he added.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2017/12/31/bernas-brushes-aside-claims-of-monopoly-neglecting-local-farmers/
As Ogun rises
to the rice challenge
The determined drive of the current administration to diversify
the economy from the mono-product of oil to agriculture has started to yield
the desired fruits. The recent unveiling of the MITROS Rice Processing factory
by the forward-looking Governor Ibikunle Amosun in Ogun State amply attests to
that. The rice, packaged in 50kg bags, is produced at Egua land in Yewa South
Local Government Area of the state, while the processing and packaging
facilities are sited in Asero area of Abeokuta, the state capital. Good enough,
it comes with an affordable market price of N11,500. This initiative is truly
commendable.
As rightly noted by the governor, the rice production would
boost food supply, reduce dependency on imported ones while the mill would
create jobs for the farmers, millers and marketers in the state. In addition,
the rice farmers in the state would no longer have to travel far in search of
milling facilities.
Furthermore, he frowned at the sad scenario of huge import
dependency especially on products we could easily produce locally. Said
he:“This has weighed heavily on the nation’s economy as it exerted pressure on
foreign reserves and value of the naira with attendant needless outsourcing of
agricultural work to distant countries.” According to the Central Bank of
Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele Nigeria spent a whopping $2.41 billion on
rice importation between 2012 and 2015. Surely, we cannot continue to tread on
this long-winding path of economic slavery.
Not long ago one had cause to applaud the synergy between Lagos
and Kebi states for coming up with Lake Rice project. This addition from Ogun
state has further increased the tempo of inward looking to deploy our resources
and unleash our agricultural potentials. Recent feelers indicate that rice
importers from Asian countries and their accomplice smugglers are already
bemoaning their fate.
As earlier highlighted in a previous, related piece on rice
production in Nigeria, agric experts posited that Nigeria was capable of
producing 18 million metric tonnes of rice but our farmers yielded a paltry 3.2
million tonnes. That was n 2003. But statistics a year before in 2002 claimed
that we were spending, or rather wasting a whopping N60 billion (Naira) yearly
on rice importation. In fact, Nigerian rice merchants imported 24 million
metric tons of rice valued at $8.86 billion (N1.77 trillion) from Thailand,
Pakistan, India, United States and Vietnam in the last 10 years, it has been
gathered.
In January 2006, the price of the commodity soared from $284.45
to $369 per metric ton. Statistics revealed that in 2006, the country imported
1.5 million metric tons; 1.8 million metric tons in 2007; 1.75 million tons in
2008; 1.75 million metric tons in 2009 and 2.4 million metric tons in 2010. In
2011, the nation also imported 3.2 million tons; 2.8 million tons in 2012; 2.8
million tons in 2013; 3.5 million tons in 2014 and 2.5 million tons in 2015.
In all honesty, Governor Amosun deserves commendation by taking
the bull by the horn because the state, created in 1976 with a land mass of
16,981 km² bordered by Lagos State to the south, Oyo and Osun states to the
north, Ondo to the east and the Republic of Benin to the west should have no
business depending on foreign food items, including rice for survival. It
boasts of major food crops include rice, maize, cassava, yam and banana. Others
are cocoa, kola nut, rubber, palm oil and palm kernels.
One other aspect of the rice project in Ogun state is the
element of trust. Earlier in the year the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture,
Mrs. Ronke Sokefun, revealed that the state was embarking on massive production
of rice, with the aim of selling at affordable price to its residents by the
end of the year. She made this public at a press conference organised by the
state Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture
(OGUNCCIMA) for the eighth Gateway Trade Fair 2017. Specifically, she stated
then that acres of land were being prepared for massive planting of the rice by
farmers. Now, the promise has been fulfilled!
Another notable aspect is that of partnerships. Months before
the state also said it has concluded plans with Sterling Group, an Agro-Allied
Firm, to embark on the cultivation of rice and other agricultural produce for
food security. The company then pledged a whopping sum of ten billion dollars
to the partnership. The salutary aim of course is to make Ogun state the
largest rice producing state in the entire federation. As events unfold, it is
no longer one long pipe dream.
To fast track the processes that would make Ogun State the
largest rice producing state in Nigeria, as promised during its interaction
with the state’s chapter of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it should
also synergise with the tertiary institutions of learning, research institutes
and the manufacturing firms. As fate would have it, the state is home to
several of them.
For instance, it could draw up a sustainable Master Plan on the
Rice Revolution with the best of brains from the Federal University of
Agriculture, Abeokuta and bells University of Technology, Ota. Furthermore, it
should source for high-yielding, disease-resistant and early-maturing rice
hybrid seedlings from IITA, Ibadan and send agric graduates to FIIRO, Oshodi
for courses on processing, packaging and preservation. It should also forge
partnerships with Nigerian engineers for local machine fabrication. This would
save scarce foreign exchange as it would also serve as a catalyst for job
creation.
Even as the focus is currently shifted on rice milling, no
effort should be spared to add technological value to other crops such as
maize, cassava, cocoa, banana, kola nut, rubber, palm oil and palm kernels. The
value chain to be derived from the processing, packaging, marketing and export
of their finished products will certainly make Ogun state one of the self
dependent states, not waiting for federal allocation to fund its vision.
So far, the right step has been taken by Governor Amosun. What
remains is the expansion and sustenance. Well done!
https://www.businessdayonline.com/ogun-rises-rice-challenge/
High rice prices, weak banking
sector buck Bangladesh’s economic gains in 2017
Abdur Rahim Harmachi, Chief Economics
Correspondent,
2017-12-31 05:02:24.0 BdST Updated: 2017-12-31 05:11:45.0
BdST
The key indicators did well in 2017 amid a
seemingly stable political atmosphere throughout the year, but the economy took
a hit on spiralling rice prices and a messy banking sector.
The Bangladesh economy grew by a record 7.28 percent in the
2016-17 fiscal, beating the 7 percent target, thanks to the increased revenue
collection, high foreign currency reserves propelled by a spike in export and
remittance inflow.
Analysts, however, raised concerns over increased rice import
and soaring prices following two rounds of floods and lack of supervision in
the banking sector.
But former governor Mohammed Farashuddin and economist Ahsan H
Mansur described the outgoing year’s economy ‘good on the whole’.
“The GDP had grown by over 7 percent for two years, economic
indicators are doing well, the Padma Bridge construction is going ahead and the
power generation has increased, which are all good things…Bangladesh will march
at double speed in 2018,” said Farashuddin, who headed the central bank between
1998 and 2001.
Soaring rice prices, however, left mid- and low-income group in
trouble, said Mansur, Executive Director of private think-tank Policy Research
Institute. “The government failed to handle it efficiently.”
Growth, revenue and forex
The size of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product or GDP is now
$249.68 billion, thanks to the more than 7 percent growth in the last two
fiscals.
The per capita income is at $1,610. In June, the foreign
exchange reserves rose to a record high of $33 billion.
But its benefits are yet to reach the public, says Farashuddin,
underscoring the need to address inequality.
Revenue collection rose to Tk 1.85 trillion in FY 2016-17,
registering a 19 percent rise.
In the 2017-18 fiscal, started from Jul 1, the government
targets to raise Tk 2.48 billion and by the first five months, the National
Board of Revenue reports that it has grown by over 18 percent compared with the
same period in the last fiscal.
Rising inflation
The 2017-18 budget targeted to peg inflation within 5.5 percent,
but by late 2017, it began to rise and is now over 6 percent.
Point-to-point inflation rose to 6.4 percent in October this
year.
“Rice prices rose unexpectedly as the government was late to
take import initiatives as well as to cut duty. The prices are still going up,”
said Mansur.
Coarse rice is sold for Tk 35 a kilogram now from Tk 50 in the
beginning of the year. Finer varieties cost between Tk 60 and 80, up from Tk
42.
Prices started to hike when unseasonal floods in April damaged
crops in the northeastern backswamps or Haors.
A second round of floods during the monsoon hit this year’s rice
production badly with the government’s rice stocks depleting below 200,000
tonnes.
The situation worsened with price-gouging by rogue traders,
which forced the government to open import initiatives and revise down the duty
twice.
Banking in jeopardy
A severe governance crisis in the financial sector, triggered by
an unprecedented increase in bad debts, liquidity shortage and financial scams marred
the new banks, cleared on political considerations.
Thirteen of the 57 banks operating in Bangladesh are now on the
regulators’ list of banks with bad financial state.
The boards of the Farmers Bank and NRB Commercial Bank have
recently been reconstituted following irregularities in loan disbursement.
The Farmers Bank has left the entire financial sector at a
systematic risk, according to a government report.
The central bank, however, failed to put a leash on the chaotic
sector despite fixing business goals, appointing observers or capping loans for
the troubling banks.
Hostile takeovers left private banks in panic as a
Chittagong-based conglomerate took control of several banks in the outgoing
year.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith recently admitted that there are
weaknesses in the sector.
Speaking to bdnews24.com about
the sector, Farashuddin suggested merger of those banks that are struggling
financially.
“It happens in the whole world and we will have to do it as
well,” he said.
But defaulted loans remain a major concern as the figure now
tops Tk 803 billion, accounting for almost 11 percent of the loans released.
Export-import, remittance and
others
The staple grain’s import shot up in the outgoing year as two bouts
of flooding severely stymied rice production.
Imports of oil, capital machinery and industrial raw materials
also soared.
In 2016-17, import spending clocked $47 billion. Between July
and October this year, it rose by 29 percent year-on-year.
Exports, however, slowed in the outgoing year, fetching $34.85
billion to mark a 1.7 percent growth in 2016-17.
Between July and November this year, exports grew almost 6.9
percent, which readymade apparel entrepreneur Anwar-ul-Alam Chowdhury Parvez
believes will be the case for the entire 2017-18 fiscal.
According to him, global exports destabilised to ‘some extent’
due to Brexit and some decisions by US President Donald Trump.
“Besides these, buyers have taken a cautious approach ahead of
the general election due in late 2018. They have cut back on placing orders
anticipating political volatility while issues with power and gas supplies and
port facilities persist,” added Pervez.
Remittances sent by expatriates have always been a key
contributor to the foreign currency reserves, which dropped during the first
half of the year, but bounced back with a 10.76 percent year-on-year rise to
$5.77 billion in July-November period.
Bangladesh ended 2016-17 with $1.48 billion deficit in balance
of payment or BoP. In July-October period, it rose by over two folds to $3.31
billion.
Private sector credit flow rose 19 percent, but it failed to
allay concerns of the analysts over the quality of the investment.
Bangladesh drew around $3 billion in foreign direct investments
or FDIs in 2016-17, 19 percent more than it did in the previous fiscal year. In
July-October period, it rose by 10 percent year-on-year to $1.15 billion
https://bdnews24.com/economy/2017/12/31/high-rice-prices-weak-banking-sector-buck-bangladeshs-economic-gains-in-2017
S.
Korea to send 10,000 tons of rice to Vietnam
SEOUL,
Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will send 10,000 tons of rice to Vietnam that
was hit hard by a typhoon, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
said Monday. The Southeast Asian country sustained considerable damage caused
by Typhoon Damrey last year, with Hanoi requesting support from the ASEAN Plus
Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) last November. The reserve is maintained
by South Korea, China, Japan and members of the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations. Seoul has already pledged to offer assistance to Vietnam in 2017.
Besides affecting the country's rice harvest the typhoon has resulted in
numerous deaths. The farm ministry said that the rice to be sent was all
harvested in 2016, with shipments to be sent as quickly as possible to help
those that have been hit hardest by the natural disaster. South Korea,
meanwhile, had provided rice aid under the APTERR to Myanmar and Cambodia in
early 2017. Seoul hopes that the shipment of rice will further strengthen
bilateral ties between the two countries. Vietnam has become one of South
Korea's key trading nations.
The
rice harvest in 2017 is estimated to have reached 7.55m tonnes
The
prospects of key crops and the livestock sector in 2018 are somewhat promising
but structural issues remain and need increased attention.
Only
three out of five key crops are expected to do well, showing an increase in
production and a modest growth in yield, and the livestock sector also seems
set to perform better than the year before.
Wheat,
sugarcane and rice are all heading in the right direction, and we may see
additional output and yield enhancement this year.
Officials
and growers say the output of maize, however, may either remain stagnant or
record a slight decline due to multiple reasons. If all goes well, cotton
output, too, may touch the 13 million-bale mark but will still remain below the
original target of 14.04m bales.
Two
key challenges to crops that have so far continued to haunt the agriculture
sector might also remain there in 2018 even if their severity weakens.
The
first is to bring the national average yield of key crops closer to the global
average and the second is to improve supply and the value chain.
How
closely we chase the objective of bridging the yield gap depends upon how
seriously ongoing yield enhancement programmes based on seed research and
modernisation of farming practices are implemented.
Lethargy
on this count will not only result in a slower growth of the crop sector but
will also constrain the country’s ability to meet the growing demand for food
grains and cotton at home, and to achieve the desired growth in the export of
grains, food items and textiles.
If
distortions in supply chain of crops are not managed well the country can
neither maintain a sober inflation nor get a high per-unit value for food and
textile exports.
Cotton: The current
season’s cotton output looks set to exceed 13m bales against the second
assessment of the cotton crop assessment committee. This is by no means a very
optimistic assessment as by mid-December the country had already produced
10.685m bales.
Sindh
is sure to contribute 4m bales, up from the earlier estimates of 3.7m bales—a
number already achieved by mid-December.
However,
even a 13m-bale output would not only be lower than the original target of
14.04m bales but also insufficient to cover growing demand from the textile
sector after the recent spike in textile exports.
Had
Punjab’s cotton output not come under pressure (despite an increase in the area
under cultivation) due to climatic reasons, the total national production would
be around 13.5m bales.
Wheat: The target for
wheat output in the upcoming season is 26.46m tonnes, up from 25.75m tonnes in
the previous season.
A
shortage of irrigation water and less or no rain in some wheat-growing areas
might make the achievement of this target difficult, according to a Suparco
assessment. But officials of provincial agricultural departments say, on the
basis of field reports received so far, that the target could be achieved
despite some reduction in the area under cultivation.
They
are pinning their hopes on the projected increase in yields, thanks to the
introduction of some new varieties in the past couple of years and a greater
awareness created among farmers about the proper care of the crop.
According
to Dawn reports, experiments on winter wheat are being conducted in four
high-altitude regions. If encouraging results emerge, the country will begin
growing this crop as well, though on a limited scale. The winter wheat crop is
expected to offer a 20-30pc higher yield than spring wheat — an added
advantage.
Rice: The rice harvest
in 2017 is estimated to have reached 7.55m tonnes, according to officials who
say that in 2018 production would cross eight million tonnes even if the area
under cultivation remains the same.
Their
optimism springs from a faster growth in production of coarse rice — thanks to
an expanding use of high-yield varieties— and a modest increase in even Basmati
rice.
For
several years, Pakistan has been promoting the use of paddy seeds that survive
and grow on less water and has also been teaching farmers how to reduce
post-harvest losses.
Mechanised
paddy harvesting and newer techniques of replanting the saplings, too, have
been playing their role in boosting the rice output for some years now.
Hopefully these trends should become stronger in 2018, officials of the
Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) say.
Sugarcane: The
sugarcane output has been growing steadily leading to surplus sugar production
in the country and a crash in domestic prices.
Sugar
exports continue to bring in the much-needed foreign exchange into the country.
Delays over the fixation of the support price of cane by provinces continue to
occur, and the year 2017 was no exception.
Farmer
lobbies persist in demanding an upward revision in support prices even when the
same are notified. The same is expected to happen in 2018.
But
on sugarcane farms we can expect changes: a straight 10pc increase in cane
production (to 89m plus from 81.4m tonnes in 2017) and a rise in per-hectare
yield to 64 tonnes per hectare from 62 tonnes per hectare, according to initial
official projections, not yet finalised.
Maize: The maize output
that exceeded 6.1m tonnes for the first time in 2017 may remain under pressure
in 2018 for the simple reason that the 2017 output gain came from a big 12pc
increase in the area under cultivation.
In
2018 this might not be the case and the area under cultivation could shrink,
officials say, adding that total production could range between 5.3m and 5.5m
tonnes.
They
are, however, optimistic that the per-hectare yield of a little less than 4.6
tonnes in 2017 may actually rise to 5 tonnes per-hectare due to a wider
adoption of high-yield varieties of the grain.
Livestock: In
the absence of data obtained via physical animal surveys, authorities continue
to make calculations about milk and meat production on the basis of inter
census growth rates between 1996 and 2006.
Much
has changed since 2006 and the entry and progress of large milk and meat
processing companies have changed the entire landscape of value-added livestock
industries.
An
increase in economic growth, the consequent rise in income levels in recent
years and the proliferation of chains of super markets also continues to boost
demand for dairy and milk products. That is why officials of MNFSR remain
upbeat about growth in the livestock sector in 2018.
But
whether an anticipated growth in the sector’s performance will also help in the
export of meat and meat preparations and of food items in which milk is used as
the main ingredient cannot be predicted right now as competition in export
markets is getting tougher.
One
way of looking at the high impact of grains and livestock sectors’ performance
could be the growth of the food and beverages segment of large-scale
manufacturing. Here, an 11.49pc expansion in output in FY17 topped by a further
14.24pc growth in five months of this fiscal year indicates that things are
moving in the right direction.
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