Tulfo urges DA to set SRPs for essential goods

ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo has urged the Department of Agriculture (DA) to implement suggested retail prices (SRP) on essential goods to prevent excessive price hikes by middlemen and traders.

Tulfo emphasized that businessmen like middlemen or brokers abuse food item pricing, leading to significant market price increases despite low farmgate prices for items such as rice, vegetables, eggs, and meat.

He noted that the suggested retail prices would regulate profits of intermediaries to ensure affordable food prices in markets and prevent further price manipulation.

Tulfo's proposal follows recent congressional hearings revealing that middlemen and cartels are major contributors to rising commodity costs, particularly for staple items like rice.

The congressman clarified that SRPs will be implemented temporarily until market prices stabilize and stressed the need to protect consumers from unfair pricing practices.

According to the latest Social Weather Stations survey, Tulfo leads the senatorial race with 45 percent voter preference as a candidate under the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas.