Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala vowed to maintain transparency in the agency to avoid the prevalence of anomalous transactions.
Speaking at a press conference Monday in Davao City, Alcala singled out transparency in the conduct of biddings.
Alcala visited the city on Monday to grace the Kaniyogan Festival.
He cited his recent directive to stop the bidding of an equipment that will be use to detect toxic substances in food.
Opting not to name names, Alcala said he ordered the stoppage of the bidding after he learned that the bidding was subservient to a certain company.
With the stoppage, the department has saved some P30 million to P35 million with that project alone, Alcala said.
Under the Arroyo administration, the agriculture department surfaced into over P58 billion fertilizer fund scam.
Alcala said by strictly observing transparency under his leadership at the department, a repeat of such huge scam would be avoided.
The reported rice cartel is also among the issues being addressed by the department under Alcala’s leadership.
He said inventories in National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses were also being conducted.
This after President Benigno Aquino, III in his State of the Nation Address stated that rice stocks were rotting in government warehouses due to over importation.
Alcala said some warehouses in Metro Manila were indeed found full of rotten rice stocks.
Alcala said the rotten rice stocks due can still be distributed or sold as feeds. The difference however will be paid by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), he said.
The department will implement measures and programs that would lead the country to rice sufficiency by 2013. (PNA) RMA/Judy G. Quiros/lvp
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