Philippines: Regulator probes rice importers this year

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) vowed to use its iron fist against competition-law violators this year, and one of the industries it intends to investigate is the rice sector.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror, PCC Commissioner Johannes R. Bernabe said the PCC will look into the rice industry to assess if there are anticompetitive practices within the circle of rice importers.

“As you know, our chairman, [Arsenio M. Balisacan], is a former National Economic and Development Authority head, and I think he is always concerned [that] poverty has not been alleviated in the Philippines, so he identifies rice as one of the primary concerns,” he said.

The PCC will probe the rice sector, along with eight others, this year for reported anticompetitive practices. Aside from rice, the antitrust agency will also do a market study on meat and poultry, pharmaceutics, land transportation, air transportation, agricultural credit, digital commerce, retail and telecommunications.

Full Content: GMA News Online

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