Officials met Sunday to discuss relaxing restrictions of rice subsidies in order to keep the price of rice stable during Ramadan. A committee comprising undersecretaries of the Finance for Revenues Affairs, Agriculture for Research and Agricultural Affairs and Director of Supply at the Ministry of Commerce met at the InterContinental in Riyadh where complaints made by merchants on the overly complex procedures for subsidy application. Al-Watan stated that the reduction in restrictions was also import in keeping the price of rice stable with enough supply. Merchants claim the procedures slow down the process with customs officials. Importers no longer have to produce a point of origin certificate for their goods and a local certificate from the Quality Control Laboratory. Instead the Committee decided an invoice for the purchase of the goods is only needed. Al-Watan stated the Committee and merchants met to discuss these procedures four months ago, but no objections were raised. __
