Price are up because demand outstrip supply.
Arroyo made the call Tuesday when she convened the National Economic Development Authority Cabinet group and the National Price Coordination Council to strengthen government actions against the continuing rise in the prices of oil and rice.
Oh? And how does one lower oil prices? Bomb America?
“Hinihiling natin sa mga tindero na huwag magtaas ng presyo dahil lamang may nagsasabing may krisis [We are appealing to traders not to increase their prices because of a perceived crisis],” Arroyo said.
This is why government should not be in business. Competition is tough, only suicidal idiots raise prices in tough economic times.
Why is supply short?
I do not know.
Perhaps government meddling in economic fundamentals discourage adequate supply.
Perhaps the ships bringing in the rice got held up by pirates. Or customs. Hard to tell apart the two entities.
Perhaps the government does not want to admit another inadequate harvest due to more of the same useless policies that has been in place since... uh... since...
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap himself, Arroyo said, was “staking out all NFA [National Food Authority] warehouses so he can follow the big 10-wheeler trucks and see where they are bringing the rice.”
“He [Yap] is investigating all warehouses, watching them, re-licensing them. He shall hit the hoarders,” Arroyo said.
Right... when time gets tough, the tough gets paranoid and bureaucratic instead of implementing a better agricultural policy. Free hint: ditch CARP and go corporate farming.
The President also ordered the Department of Finance, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs to form a government civil society body similar to the Procurement Transparency Group (PTG) to monitor collection efforts, gather lifestyle and corruption information, and follow up major evasion or smuggling cases.
Yeah, yeah, yeah... Civil servants know this is just bullshit, I see them bedeck in jewelry, live in better houses and drive newer cars than I do, military officers chauffeured in their SUVs laden with loot from a shopping spree.
The President also ordered the creation of a new body under the BIR to be called “Partners” or Partnership for Transparent and Efficient Revenue Service.
What is that I hear? Where is it coming? Wait... its coming from the Bureau of Internal Revenue! They are singing praises, convulsing with ecstasy, shouting joyously: "Thank You! Thank You! Dear Lord Gloria for the bounty!"
And I really should not do this, too easy. Philippine Daily Inquirer article.
