MANILA -- The Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (PAGASA) said members are finding it difficult to secure permits to sell subsidized rice from the National Food Authority (NFA), even it is was government that initiated moves to make it available in supermarkets.
This is after PAGASA signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with NFA and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) last week to allow distribution and selling of subsidized staple in the supermarkets.
“Stores need a permit to sell rice. Most of the 200 PAGASA member-stores nationwide do not have that permit. NFA is requiring that permit,” PAGASA President Steven Cua said in a text message Monday.
Cua added that supermarkets that would like to participate in this initiative need to undergo inspection before NFA will grant them the permits. Supermarkets also have to pay for the permits.
“Critical issue here is time. Consumers [are] complaining that they have to line up at wet markets, and stocks at these markets [are] running low,” he noted.
“Supermarkets need not [to] sell NFA rice to survive. We are just willing to help, hoping they don’t make it difficult for us to help,” he added.
Cua said the group has raised this concern to the DTI. In response, DTI said it will reach out to NFA to discuss the matter, he added.
On Monday, Daily Supermarket located at P.Tuazon and 20th Ave. Corner in Cubao, Quezon City has the NFA permit since this store has been selling NFA rice even before the MOA was inked, Cua said.
However, he was not sure if Daily Supermarket was able to get stock of NFA rice this day.
The understanding between government and PAGASA is that, supermarkets will have to pick-up the stocks from NFA warehouses and then re-pack them into 2-kilo packs for retail sale.
This means additional logistics and re-packing costs for the supermarkets, while they will be offering the NFA rice at the same price of PHP27 per kilogram, Cua explained. (PNA)
