THE National Food Authority (NFA) has released various sets of guidelines covering the importation of rice by the private sector, including the extension of shipment arrival and the guidelines for the 350,000-metric tons (MT) out-quota importation.
The NFA issued the general guidelines covering the 350,000-MT rice importation program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for the private sector.
The importation would be outside the country’s minimum access volume (MAV) or out-quota and could be sourced from any country, according to the guidelines.
Rice imports from Asean countries would be levied with a 35-percent tariff while those sourced from other countries would have a 50-percent tariff.
Traders and importers could import a maximum volume of 20,000 MT of rice based on their total net importing capacity declared in 2017.
Interested parties should apply and submit all documents to the DTI’s Consumer Policy and Advocacy Bureau (CPAB), which will then submit the list of compliant importers to the NFA so they can be issued a certificate of eligibility to import rice (COEIR).
The rice imports must arrive in the country not later than 90 calendar days from the date of COEIR issuance, according to the guidelines.
“All interested NFA-licensed importers may apply to import under this program 15 calendar days after the publication [of] these guidelines,” it said.
Furthermore, the NFA allowed the earlier entry of rice imports under the second phase of the minimum access volume (MAV) scheme 2017-2018 from December 20, 2018 to October 15. All rice imports under the second phase must arrive not later than February 28, 2019.
The NFA also extended, to not later than November 30, the arrival of 133,500 MT of rice earlier intended for the Zambasulta (Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi) area.
The grains agency also allowed the discharge of the said volume to any port in the country but subject to NFA management’s approval.
Importers that will be allowed to discharge their allocation to other ports must sign a deed of undertaking “that in case Zambasulta provinces shall be in need of rice,” they would bring their allocated stocks to the area, according to the NFA.