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Recto unfit as NEDA chief, says militant fishers’ group

As far the fisherfolk activist group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) is concerned, former Senator and newly installed National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary Ralph Recto is not the right man for the job.

“We don’t want this country to be governed by someone who sees the development of the people through dole out exercises and alms giving. This will not solve the problem and will only promote begging for alms mentality, and that kind of mindset obscures the truth on poverty and the pressing need for meaningful reforms,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said in a press statement.

“Socio economic planning secretary Recto is unfit for the job, just like President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” the Pamalakaya leader said. The fisherfolk leader made the remarks against Recto, after the President’s new NEDA chief on Thursday said he preferred direct cash subsidies to the poor, rather than using billions of taxpayers’ money to subsidize rice imports.

“This is Recto’s second biggest mistake. His first major crime for the 21st century is when he pushed the
approval of the anti-people Value Added Tax. Look at our people right now. They are all suffering from
extreme poverty and economic crisis courtesy of the Arroyo-Recto 12 percent VAT. Now this comebacking politician wants us to subscribe to his latest economic escapade on dole out. Give us a break,” Hicap added.

Pamalakaya said the correct political position of a decent thinking NEDA chief should be discard the
policy of dole out and mandate the NFA to use billions of public funds to procure palay (unhusked rice) from Filipino farmers rather than spend the money on rice importation. “The solution is very simple, very viable and a sure winner at the political box-office. But Secretary Recto has the same anti-poor mindset like President Arroyo. He and the President want to reduce our poor people as full-time beggars and obsessed folks on dole outs,” the militant group said.

The militant group said instead of dole –outs and direct cash subsidies, the P 32 billion allotted by
the national government for NFA this year, should go to direct subsidies to farmers in the form of
technical and production subsidies, as well as procurement subsidies to guarantee high price for
their locally produce palay.

The NFA in return, the group said, could sell the rice to the consuming public at affordable or cheaper
prices. The group said 80 percent of the country’s total population is poor, and that sound proposal
could benefit 65 to 70 million poor Filipinos all over the country.

“It is superior to the proposal of Recto to give cash dole outs to the poor. Only a few thousands of
poor people will benefit from these direct cash subsidies of the government. Unlike in our proposal,
70 million Filipinos, including the poor farmers themselves are assured of cheaper and safe rice
supplies,” Pamalakaya said.

Recto, in a press conference said cash transfers were a better way to help the poor cope with high food
prices, which had dragged down growth of the economy so far this year. “Cash transfers are a more direct way of helping the poor,” he said.

The NEDA socio economic planning secretary noted that subsidies to the NFA were well targeted to the poor because even non-poor families were able to buy NFA rice. Recto made the statement as the National Statistical Coordination Board reported in the press conference that the country’s economy measured in terms of gross domestic grew by 4.6 percent in the 2nd quarter of the year, much slower than the 8.3 percent in the same period last year.#

posted by: GerryCorpuz at 03:34 | link | comments (1) |
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