Stakeholders debate meat tariff reduction

Local producers and importers are at loggerheads over a proposal to retain lower tariffs on meat and edible animal organs.

During the Tariff Commissions hearing held virtually, Meat Importers and Traders Association (Mita) made the case for extending the validity of reduced tariff rates on offals or animal organs so that consumers could gain access to cheaper sources of protein.

Offals are an important cheaper protein for pork that the masses can afford in the wet market … These are the things that you will see the poor masses buying, said Mita spokesperson Pablo Pacis.

Our position is consistent with the recent study published in the Inquirer coming from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the study finds that protectionism actually prevents the poorer masses from receiving cheaper protein, added Pacis.

Aside from keeping retail prices lower, Pacis also said this would avert the proliferation of smuggled agricultural produce, one of the challenges confronting the Marcos administration.