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Thursday, March 16, 2006
BIMP-Eaga urges RP to ease corn import restrictions
By Ben O. Tesiorna
OFFICIALS of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-Eaga) urged the Philippine government to ease restrictions on corn importation so that businesses like the halal poultry industry would improve.
Datuk Haji Ahmad Ali Lope Abdul Aziz, Malaysia's BIMP-Eaga Business Council chair, said the excuse given by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for its restriction on corn importation is a lame one.
The DA fears that importing corn from Indonesia might pave the way for the entry of the bird flu virus here in the country since Indonesia is a bird-flu affected country.
Aziz said there is, however, no proof that corn could carry bird flu virus. He said they are going to discuss the matter during the Senior Officers Meeting (SOM) in Indonesia end of this month and will come out with a position paper that will be endorsed by the BIMP senior officials.
Aziz said, if need be, they will directly appeal to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to address the problem.
He admitted that it is only in the Philippines that a restriction on corn importation is implemented. Aziz said the poultry industry in the Philippines is indeed very much affected by this restriction considering the high prices of the local corn.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (March 16, 2006 issue)
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