Representative Stella Quimbo took a proactive stance during Wednesday’s session in the House of Representatives, advocating for further changes to the bill aimed at amending Republic Act No. 11203, also known as the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).
Quimbo, representing Marikina 2nd District, specifically addressed Page 8 of House Bill (HB) No. 10381, which had received second reading approval the day before. Her proposed modification pertained to Section 13 of R.A. 8178, the Agricultural Tariffication Act, as amended by the RTL in 2019, focusing on the handling of excess annual tariff revenues generated from rice importation.
During her intervention, Quimbo proposed the removal of lines 16 to 18 on Page 8 and suggested a revised formulation. She emphasized the importance of earmarking excess tariff revenues for allocation in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of the subsequent year.
Under her proposed amendment, if the annual tariff revenues from rice importation surpass P15 billion in any given year within a six-year period following the enactment of the law, the excess tariff revenues would be earmarked by Congress and integrated into the GAA for the following fiscal year.
Quimbo’s proactive approach underscores the ongoing efforts within the legislature to fine-tune the RTL, aiming to ensure that its provisions effectively address the complexities of rice importation and tariff revenue management.
