NUGGETS...

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Murray’s 3 made it 84-83. His step-back 3 at the 7-minute mark made it 87-83. Another 3 made it 99-87, and he sank seven of eight free throws in the final minute.

Lakers: Los Angeles made 23 of 26 free throws. ... Davis and James were a combined 13 of 36 from the floor.

Nuggets: The Nuggets were miffed when ESPN sideline reporter Lisa Salters said after Game 1 that she’d never seen Jokic play before. ... Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored 21 in Game 1, picked up his second foul 1:39 into the game and sat the rest of the first quarter. ... The Nuggets outscored the Lakers by 18 points from the arc.

most flat at 7.9 percent last April from month-ago’s 8 percent.

Inflation rate is expected to slow to within-target levels as early as in September this year.

“It’s about almost 150,000 (metric tons) naman po talaga ‘yung kailangan natin. Mayroon tayong mga kakulangan na 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT po will serve as a one-month na buffer po natin, lagpas kaunti sa one month (We need almost 150,000 MT. We have a shortfall of 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT will serve as a buffer stock for a month or a little over a month),” he added.

Azcona said importers, public consumers, and institutional buyers would all have access to this stock.

The DA on Wednesday noted that the 150,000 MT of importation would help reduce the prices of sugar.

“The prices will be ranging from PHP80 to PHP90 per kilo,” Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said in an interview.

“If they are incapable of resolving the issues, they must step aside and allow an entity capable of providing reliable service to take their place. We need solutions, not excuses. The people of IGaCoS, and the entire province of Davao del Norte deserve better,” he said.

Edge Davao tried to get Nordeco’s reaction or reply regarding this matter but as of this writing, the electric cooperative hasn’t able to come up with any statement or comment. By Maya

M. Padillo

FROM 5 optimistic in the coming months we will get that. We’re doing everything we can. We will continue doing raids and filing of cases involving illicit trade,” he said.

As one of its efforts to combat illicit tobacco trade, BIR is currently in talks with online selling platforms to discontinue the sale of these illicit products.

“We’re coordinating with them, hopefully we come up with an agreement soon as to how to address it, the proliferation of illicit products in their platforms. They should remove the products being sold there. They should police their own platform,” he said.

Lumagui said there is also a need to improve border controls, enhance inter-agency coordination between the country’s law enforcement agencies, develop a comprehensive legal framework on the sale and trade of products on both brick-and-mortar stores and e-commerce platforms, and strictly enforce the applicable laws and regulations against illicit trade. (PNA)

‘yung kailangan natin. Mayroon tayong mga kakulangan na 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT po will serve as a one-month na buffer po natin, lagpas kaunti sa one month (We need almost 150,000 MT. We have a shortfall of 50,000 MT. And the 100,000 MT will serve as a buffer stock for a month or a little over a month),” he added.

Azcona said importers, public consumers, and institutional buyers would all have access to this stock.

The DA on Wednesday noted

Medalla said balance of risks to inflation outlook “remains largely tilted towards the upside owing to persistent constraints in the supply of key food items, the potential impact of El Niño on food prices and utility rates, as well as the effects of possible additional adjustments in transportation fares and wages.” that the 150,000 MT of importation would help reduce the prices of sugar.

These are, however, countered by the lower-than-expected global economic recovery, he said.

“The Monetary Board also deems it necessary to keep the policy interest rate at its current level over the near term, as ongoing price pressures continue to warrant close monitoring. A prudent pause also allows monetary authorities to further assess how macroeconomic and financial conditions will evolve in view of tighter global financial conditions,” he said.

Medalla said any changes in the BSP’s key rates will partly be affected by the developments on inflation, their inflation forecasts, and adjustments in the Federal Reserve’s key rates.

“So, in short, the more likely scenario is neither a cut nor an increase in the next two or three policy meetings,” he said.

Asked for any changes in bank’s reserve requirement ratio (RRR) as early as June this year, Medalla said this is always on the table because the country’s RRR remains high and because the regulatory relief extended to loans for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) will expire in end-June this year.

“Right now, loans to medium and small scale industries qualify as requires until they mature. So if we decide not to extend that policy then we must offset it by cutting reserve requirements,” he said.

RRR have been reduced by a total of 200 basis points in 2020 to 12 percent for universal and commercial banks (U/KBs) as part of the central bank’s move to encourage lending during the pandemic to shore up economic activities.

“The prices will be ranging from PHP80 to PHP90 per kilo,” Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said in an interview.

To date, the price per kg. of refined sugar in Metro Manila ranges from PHP86 to PHP110. (PNA)