THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has blacklisted three agricultural food importers and is poised to revoke the import licenses of five more due to illegal trade activities.
“We will not turn a blind eye to these importers’ illegal practices that undermine government revenues and put public health at risk. To do so would be to abdicate our sworn duty to protect our farmers and the Filipino consumers,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr., in a statement yesterday.
DA said the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) blacklisted LVM Grains Enterprises which imported milled rice, cashew nuts and coffee without the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPICs).
BPI also placed Kysse Lishh Consumer Goods Trading and Golden Rays Consumer Goods Trading in the blacklist for importing onions and oranges without SPIC permits and import licenses.
DA added the import licenses of five other firms have been suspended due to misdeclarations, illegal importation and anti-competitive trade practices.
The DA said the Philippine Competition Commission will lead the prosecution of the three companies accused of engaging in anti-competitive trade activities.
“We will withhold the identities of these five importers because the cases we filed against them are still pending. Until their cases are resolved, however, they cannot transact with BPI,” said Gerald Glenn Panganiban, BPI director, in the statement.
Last month, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. signed into law a measure classifying smuggling, hoarding and cartel operations involving agricultural products as economic sabotage. The law slaps stiffer fines and longer jail terms for those who violate the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act.
The law defines smuggling and hoarding of agricultural products as economic sabotage when the value of goods exceeds P10 million.
