Simplification of Bulk Commodity Procurement
Documents Filing

1280th Commissioners' Meeting (2016)

Case:

The FTC conducted the simplification of bulk commodity procurement documents to be filed with the Ministries and Councils

Keyword(s):

Bulk commodity, wheat, flour

Reference:

Fair Trade Commission Decision of May 18, 2016 (the 1280th Commissioners' Meeting)

Industry:

Manufacture of Macaroni, Noodles, Couscous and Similar Farinaceous Products (0892)

Relevant Law(s):

Article 15 of the Fair Trade Law

Summary:

1. After the FTC gave permission in 2000 for domestic flour mills to engage in "joint shipment of wheat imports," the participants of the concerted action were required to file their monthly reports to the FTC through the Taiwan Flour Mills Associations (hereinafter referred to as TFMA) regarding wheat and flour production and sales and price changes in the country. Meanwhile, the competent authority of the industry the Agriculture and Food Agency (hereinafter referred to as the AFA), the Bureau of Foreign Trade (hereinafter referred to as the BOFT), the Bureau of Industrial Development (hereinafter referred to the BID), and the Department of Statistics also requested the TFMA to provide detailed information on the inventories, sales and purchases of bulk commodities in order to adjust food supply and demand and establish import and export statistics. As a result, the TFMA had to prepare all kinds of documents and different types of information. It has become a burden and simplification was necessary. Therefore, after comparing the seven types of forms that all the aforementioned agencies received, the FTC convened a cross-agency working group meeting on February 17, 2016 and invited concerned personnel from each of the related agencies for the initial consultation. In the meeting, all agencies agreed on unifying the document formats and that the documents were to be filed as official documents. The competent authority would be listed as the recipient of the original copy and other agencies that required a copy would be recipients of duplicates. On March 11, 2016, all the agencies also issued a formal reply to confirm the decision.

2. The documents simplified and the changes made are as follows:

   (1)	Wheat Inventory and Sales Details: The list is to be filed as an official document on a monthly basis. The AFA is the original copy recipient and the BOFT, the BID and the FTC are the duplicate recipients.
   (2)	Wheat Procurement List: The list is to be filed as an official document on a monthly basis. The AFA is the original copy recipient and the BOFT, the BID and the FTC are the duplicate recipients.
   (3)	Wheat Import quantity and Consumption Details: The list is to be filed as an official document on a monthly basis. The AFA is the original copy recipient and the BOFT is the duplicate recipient.
   (4)	Wheat Consumption Details: Filing is no longer required.
   (5)	Statistics on Wheat Inventories in the Country and Quantities Already Purchased but Not Yet Arriving: The document is to be filed officially with the BOFT on a monthly basis.
   (6)	Flour Inventory and Sales Details: The list is to be filed as an official document on a monthly basis. The BID is the original copy recipient and the Department of Statistics and the FTC are the duplicate recipients.
   (7)	Flour Price Survey Form: The Form is to be filed as an official document every two weeks. The AFA is the original copy recipient and the BID and the FTC are the duplicate recipients.

3. The TFMA was requested to cooperate on the abovementioned simplification and promised to file related lists and forms as official documents in the future. Moreover, if any of the related agencies should have urgent or special needs, they would provide necessary information in time. On the other hand, the TFMA affirmed that the consultation had indeed led to document simplification. The TFMA and concerned agencies would begin their adoption on the aforementioned simplified procedures in May 2016.