CEBU CITY – The region 7 office of the National Food Authority (NFA) has reiterated its warning against accredited NFA retailers. This, even as a number of store here have already been closed by the agency here due to over pricing.

Ma. Lucy Rosales, NFA7-designated Information Officer said although the agency have already warned retailers that if caught overpricing their stores would be shuttered, the agency continue to receive reports about such violations.

“Of the estimated 1,038 NFA-accredited retailers in Central Visayas, we have already closed over 100 stores here with over pricing violation as the main reason,” said Rosales.

She added that since NFA rice, which is subsidized by Government, is usually available at cheaper prices compared to commercial rice, “some retailers are taking advantage of the situation and most of them are selling at a higher price range, while other are repacking and reselling the product.”

Meanwhile, the NFA7 official admitted that despite their efforts to stop retailers from inappropriately selling the said products, the lack of man power is a continuing problem, thus, the agency’s difficulty in consistent monitoring prices, particularly in far-flung areas.

Rosales informed that so as to cleanse the management of stocks, NFA7 has temporarily suspended the accreditation of retail stores here.

“For the meantime we are not accepting and processing NFA retailers’ accreditation like the Tindahan Natin outlet under the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Bagsakan Centers because the agency wants to sanitize its inventory,” Rosales said.

Moreover, to intensify the campaign against over pricing, NFA7 is urging the public to report to them such violations so that proper action will be taken.