Bill revitalizing PH salt industry hurdles Senate

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the proposed Philippine Salt Industry Development Act—a priority measure of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Senate Bill 2243 garnered 22 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstention.

The bill seeks to formulate and establish a Philippine Salt Industry Development Roadmap which shall include programs, projects, and interventions for the development and management, research, processing, utilization, business modernization, and commercialization of locally-produced salt.

A Salt Council which will be composed of the Agriculture secretary as chairperson; Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources director as vice chairperson; Trade secretary, Environment and Natural Resources secretary, Science and Technology secretary, Health secretary, Tourism secretary, and Public Works secretary as members, shall be created.

Apart from government officials, the council will also include the chairperson of the Cooperative Development Authority, chief executive officer of the Land Bank of the Philippines, one representative each from the League of Provinces, League of Cites, and League of Municipalities, one representative from the private sector engaged in salt production business, and three representatives from salt farmer cooperative—two representing Luzon and one representing Visayas and Mindanao.

The council will be tasked to formulate a five-year Salt Roadmap which will contain the short-term, medium-term, and long-term development plan for the industry and will be updated yearly or earlier; identify specific and priority programs and projects; provide development funds and technical assistance to salt farmers and the industry; identify sources of financing and facilitate credit windows with government banks and the Agricultural Credit Police to expand the salt industry development; and increase the production of local salt by increasing land area devoted to salt and improving farm productivity, among others.

The Department of Agriculture, through the BFAR, will be mandated to lead the implementation of the development plan.

A Program Management Office will be created under the Office of the BFAR director to oversee the overall implementation of the development plan and the monitoring of its execution by the implementing agencies and/or partners.

Further, the PMO will perform secretariat functions such as to coordinate and manage the regular meetings of the Salt Council, prepare and consolidate reports, monitor the implementation of policy decisions, and liaise with all the member departments and relevant agencies of the government.

SB 2243 will also render salt iodization for food-grade salt optional in the country, essentially modifying Sections 3 and 5 of Republic 8172 or the Act for Salt Iodization Nationwide (ASIN).

With this, the Department of Health will be tasked to review and continue the implementation of the existing national iodization program and explore and institutionalize programs to continue salt iodization in the country.

The proposed law will also impose a 9% tariff on all imported salt, subject to existing free trade agreements.

The salt tariff collections will go to the proposed Salt Industry Development and Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.

Under the bill, the President, if Congress is not in session, will be empowered to revise or adjust existing rates of customs duties on salt imports consonant with the country’s international agreements, including any necessary change in classification applicable to their importation but the adjustment shall be time-bound. The adjustment issued by the President shall be effective 15 days after publication.

The President is also empowered for a limited period and/or a specified volume, to allow importation of salt at a lower applied tariff rate in the event of any imminent or forecasted shortage or such other situation requiring government intervention. This power can be exercised even when Congress is in session and it will take effect immediately.

The power delegated to the President may be withdrawn or terminated by Congress through a joint resolution.—AOL, GMA Integrated News