A woman stacks sugar at a store in Manila on January 18, 2023 —INQUIRER/ MARIANNE BERMUDEZ
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has vowed to address concerns raised by industry stakeholders about the proposed imposition of import clearance fees on “other” types of sugar.
SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the regulatory agency had drafted the order aimed at monitoring and gathering data on the volume of “other sugar” entering the archipelago. This is targeted to be released before the year ends.
Other sugar alternatives refer to chemically pure lactose, maltose, glucose, and fructose, among others.
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Azcona said the sugar board and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. would meet with concerned industry players “to clarify the issues” surrounding the proposal.
He reiterated that the rationale for the order was not to regulate the importation of sugar alternatives.
“It’s usually manufacturers, food and beverage that have concerns. Initially, they thought… they’ve been using it for a long time, bakit ngayon lang iko-control (why control it now?) Yung sinasabi namin… (We said) we’re not here to control,” he said.
“We just need to explain to them the purpose and the very purpose of our order is to gather data actually. We came up with that order because we were made aware of the significant volume of other [sugar products] arriving in the country,” he told reporters.
Azcona also said other players had already asked if they could apply for import clearance and pay the fees.
The SRA estimated about 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons of “other sugar” products were coming to the country per year, based on informal information gathered. However, the SRA chief said they may not have accurate data as they were just relying on figures provided by relevant government agencies such as the Bureau of Customs.
It is difficult to craft any policy for the local industry without knowing the competitive landscape, he added.
Once promulgated, the import clearance fee for sugar substitutes will be P10 per 50-kilogram bag. Such an amount is just “very minimal,” according to Azcona.
Some groups earlier flagged the influx of “other sugar” products that could result in the displacement of sugar farm workers, prompting the SRA to draft the order.