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MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Customs will tighten its watch on imported frozen meat products amid complaints from local producers.
“We are now going through the past records of importations of the country’s top 10 food importers to check whether all their importations were covered with the required import permits from the Department of Agriculture, or whether these importers did not import beyond the approved volume granted to them by the DA,” Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon said.
The country’s hog raisers, which held its convention in Cebu last week, accused the bureau of cuddling smugglers.
The group even threatened to conduct a “meat holiday” in protest, but the plan fell through.
Biazon is not ruling out the possible connivance between government officials - even Customs personnel - and some meat importers in smuggling.
The Customs chief and officials of the country’s hog raisers' association signed an agreement for a collaborative effort to stop frozen meat smuggling during the Hog Raisers National Convention in Mandaue City.
Biazon also asked the group to send a representative who will inspect and check the reference prices and true value of incoming frozen meat.
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