The government on Thursday announced a set of measures to improve the country's tariff-rate quota system, including steps to prevent unfair practices by importers exploiting it. The measures were unveiled during a ministerial-level task force meeting on stabilizing consumer prices, particularly those affecting people's livelihoods. The meeting was chaired by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol. The tariff-rate quota system allows certain volumes of imports to receive lower tariff rates within a specified limit. Under the system, tariffs on designated items, mostly food, can be reduced by as much as 40 percentage points. Authorities found that some importers have abused the system. Some cases revealed that companies imported goods at reduced tariff rates but stored them in warehouses or delayed customs declarations, later selling them at higher prices. Under the new measures, the government will designate items with a high risk of irregularities as "intensive management items" to strengthen monitoring, the finance ministry said. The government will also introduce a requirement for importers to