Naniniwala si House Ways and Means Chair at Albay, 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda na siya ring Vice Chair ng House Committee on Agriculture and Food, na ang industriya ng asin sa bansa ay ang pinakamadaling industriya ng agrikultura na buhayin muli.
Ayon kay Salceda hindi pa patay ang industriya ng asin sa bansa ngunit maituturing itong bonsai industry na kanilang pilit putulin ang maraming self-imposed regulations.
“First, repeal the requirement that saltmakers have to iodize their salt. We can keep the requirement that food manufacturers have to use iodized salt. We can require iodization in all school canteens. But we should offer people the choice over their nutrition, not require everybody at the expense of our domestic salt sector,” paliwanag ni Cong. Salceda.
Aniya, 93% ng asin sa bansa ay iniimport.
Diin ni Salceda ang paggawa ng asin ay hindi gaanong nakakasira sa kapaligaran, subalit ang DENR ay nagtakda ng mga lugar kung saan maaaring gumawa ng asin nang walang makabuluhang paghihigpit sa kapaligiran.
Nais din ni Salceda na ang asin na i-export ay libre sa iodization requirement sa ilalim ng Republic Act No. 8172.
Giit ni Salceda kaniyang isusulong ang pag-amyenda sa Republic Act No. 8172.
“The problem right now is that RA 8172 amendments are referred to the committee on health, which means the industry considerations and food security concerns are secondary to the health discussions. But I will try to convince Chairman Gato and my colleagues that imported salt is far more difficult to regulate for health reasons. We don’t know how they make it,” dagdag pa ni Cong. Salceda.
