Win transcript ambush interview | TRAIN Law | NFA Rice | Pantawid-Pasada Program | Retail Trade Liberalization

SEN WIN: We'll file a resolution to hear the revised inflation targets and how it will affect the budget and also the policies next year, in particular, the second round of TRAIN 1 because may dagdag na naman na mas malaki yun so dapat pag-aralang mabuti. Itong national ID is very important also because if you will implement another mitigating measure, madali na ngayon dahil may ID na ang lahat, pupunta na lang siya to any DSWD, makukuha na niya na yun.

Q: Are you moving to recommend for the suspension of TRAIN?

SEN WIN: My position there still remains, suspension should be the last resort. If we can implement the mitigating measures, including the rice supply, makikita natin na ang in-estimate ng NFA na 500,000 ay kulang eh. Right now, we are talking about more than a million metric tons for this year alone. So we have to look at the supply problems as well as the mitigating measures. Kung hindi pa rin ma-address yun, then we have to look at the last resort which is to suspend the second round of TRAIN.

Q: Ang sabi daw po ng NFA, kapag ang capitalization is exceeding one million, 11,000 pesos lang daw po ang license fee, contrary po sa figures na sinasabi ng Supermarket Association na 115,000?

SEN WIN: Well, the mere fact na hindi sila nagkakaintindihan, is a problem that will affect the supply of rice. Bakit sila nag-implement ng ganito na hindi nila inayos ng mabuti? Ang concept kasi dito, mas maraming benta ng rice, mas maabot ng tao at mas mapapababa ang presyo. Ngayon, ang Supermarket na gusto nilang magbenta, umaangat kasi nagcha-charge sila [NFA] ng 100,000 so bakit nagkaganoon? Second, kung ako ang tatanungin, dapat i-waive na iyang 100,000 para mas maraming magbenta, the more people who can sell, the better. The licence fee can just be adjusted; it can be one peso, depending on the situation.

Q: What else is on your plate sa Economics?

SEN WIN: Mag ri-release kami ng isang PR on the increase in fuel within the day kung ano ang gagawin. Every week nagtataas ng presyo. So press release muna then we will file a resolution. We have to be vigilant, government needs to look at these global oil prices very closely. At the same time, ang Pantawid-Pasada should be implemented to the fullest and even increase it by another 20% from the present, so parang 1,600 ata yun. This will prevent the increase of transportation fees which is contributory to inflation.

Q: Ano na po ang status Sir ng Retail Trade Liberalization?

SEN WIN: We will have another hearing, we tasked DTI to come up with a comprehensive research. Parang kung na-approve itong batas, malalaman natin ilang trabaho ang magagawa, anong investments ang papasok, anong klaseng industriya ang aasenso--these are the things that we want to look into. What cap of safeguards can we place to protect our micro-businesses? Ito yung mga questions na babalikan nila kami. Hopefully, mapasa siya within the year dahil may support naman tayo ng Senate.