DAILY STAR: Business

Nacionalista-Makabayan senatorial bet Rep. Liza Maza yesterday challenged the Department of Agriculture to explain the sugar shortage scenario it has apparently projected, resulting to sugar prices soaring up to P60 in Metro Manila, a press release from her office said.

Maza said the Department of Agriculture must clarify how it came up with its recommendation for the National Food Authority to import at least 150,000 metric tons of sugar supposedly to stabilize the price of the commodity despite the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s declaration that the domestic inventory of sugar is at normal level.

She stressed the need for an immediate and independent probe on this concern.

Tax perks eyed for
micro, small projects

The Board of Investments plans to list micro and small projects as a new category of projects that will enjoy tax incentives under the proposed 2010 Investment Priorities Plan, a government press release said.

The new category will replace the "Contingency List" under the 2009 IPP.

Trade and Industry Undersecretary and BOI managing head Elmer Hernandez said in the press release that the “micro and small projects” category would be entitled to the same incentives granted to enterprises listed in the IPP.

Help for tuna
industry pushed

Senator Mar Roxas yesterday announced that he is working on government assistance for about 75,000 workers facing job loss anxieties due to a two-year tuna fishing ban in Western and Central Pacific that started January 1, a press release from his office said.

Roxas has filed Senate Resolution No. 1548 so the Senate trade and commerce committee that he heads can start working with government and industry executives on the best form of employment and livelihood assistance for tuna industry workers and other related industries affected by the fishing ban, the press release said.

He said the Senate will also work with the government plans to protect the country’s top-dollar earner tuna canning industry, which is projected to lose one-fifth of its tuna requirement due to the fishing ban.