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THE
House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on third
and final reading a bill which provides for the
extension of the use of the Agricultural Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (Acef) but failed anew to act on the
much-awaited cheaper-medicines bill.
While
the House is rushing vital measures before the Christmas
break, some of its members are unhappy over the
continued delay in the approval of the cheaper-medicines
bill.
But
Partido ng Demokratiko ng Pilipinas-Laban Rep. Teodoro
Locsin Jr. of Makati City, who is pushing for the
passage of the measure, said he is optimistic the bill
will be approved on third and final reading on Monday,
December 10.
However,
reports say that a number of congressmen who were
previously supporting the measure have reportedly
“reversed” their decision.
A strong
lobby from multinational pharmaceutical firms has
reportedly blocked efforts of authors of the medicines
measure to have the bill disposed of in the chamber.
Voting
152-2, House members approved House Bill 2976, an urgent
bill certified by President Arroyo that seeks to allow
the use of duties collected from the importation of
agricultural products under the minimum access volume
for agricultural activities.
The
entire amount collected will be earmarked by Congress
for irrigation; farm-to-market roads; postharvest
equipment and facilities; credit research and
development and other marketing infrastructure;
provision of market information, retraining and
extension services to micro-, small- and medium-scale
enterprises in agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries
sectors; for young entrepreneurs, out-of-school youth,
graduates of agriculture, fisheries and related courses;
for agriculture and fishery cooperatives engaged in
economic enterprises and other forms of assistance and
support to agricultural sector.
Besides
these, the agricultural programs are aimed at
strengthening agricultural competitiveness in the world
market.
Authored
by Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino Rep. Luis Villafuerte
of Camarines Sur and Nationalist People’s Coalition
Reps. Alfredo Maranon III of Negros Occidental and
Abraham Kahlil Mitra of Palawan, House Bill 2976 is
amending Republic Act 8178, an Act replacing
quantitative import restrictions on agricultural
products, except rice, with tariffs, creating the
agricultural competitiveness, enhance fund and for other
purposes.
RA 8178
created Acef with a life span of nine years to cushion
the effect of the lifting of quantitative restrictions
on affected sectors of agriculture.
But the
money collected from Acef from 1996 to 1998 was not
disbursed according to its purpose because the
collections were used for budgetary support instead.
Authors
of HB 2976 said that there is a need to extend the
utilization period of the Acef in order to enable the
government to further provide the farming sector the
opportunity to use the funds to strengthen their
development activities and to enhance their
competitiveness.
Among
others, the bill provides for the extension of the
utilization period of the Acef until 2015. All duties
collected from the importation of agricultural products
under the minimum access volume mechanism, unused
balance and repayments from loan beneficiaries including
interests, if any, shall accrue to Special Account 183
and shall be deposited with the National Treasury and
after the expiration of the extension utilization in
2015, the remaining balance shall revert to the general
fund.
Besides
the Acef, the House was scheduled to approve on third
and final reading on Wednesday House Bill 3156 that will
create the Civil Aviation Authority and provide for
improvements in safety, security and facilities of
international airports in the country. |
