SRA to implement revised rules on importing sugar alternatives in March

Sugar Regulatory Administrator (SRA) administrator Pablo Luis Azcona in an interview with Manila-based reporters on February 22, 2025. (Photo by Jordeene B. Lagare)

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) aims to implement the revised rules on importing sugar substitutes by next month.

In an interview over the weekend, SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the agency would release the draft of the amended sugar order to gather comments or input from industry stakeholders.

“We will release the draft this coming week… And then we can hope to get it running by March,” Azcona said.

Azcona expressed hope that the SRA board would sign the revised rules promptly, allowing for enforcement by March.

READ: Sugar substitute importation rules coming soon

The SRA and industry groups including beverage makers and confectioners reached a middle ground in terms of importing other types of sugar.

Groups sought an audience with the SRA to echo their concerns on Sugar Order No. 6 which outlined the required permits and fees to bring in sugar alternatives. The SRA then suspended the enforcement of the said order, pending further discussions with concerned parties.

“Their most basic concern is delay, red tape,” Azcona said. “The first [thing] that we agreed upon was in five days and they don’t get a response from SRA, it is deemed approved.”

“They were surprised by that. It’s not normal for the government to do that (fast approval). But I was telling them it only takes me three working days and five working days is too long,” he told reporters.

Industry stakeholders have also raised concerns about the need to obtain a new license to import sugar alternatives, which was not previously required.

“We told them to avoid the red tape, we will give them six months to finish their license application. In the meantime, they can continue for the new license,” he said.

Although the import fee will be unchanged, advanced application and payment will be allowed.

Azcona also said both parties agreed to accept importers’ respective invoices while waiting for the issuance of a bill of lading (BL) to facilitate applications so that the SRA can already compute the fees that need to be paid while waiting for a copy of the BL before issuing the final import clearance.

BL is the contract between a carrier and a shipper detailing the shipped items.

“And then they requested, since our import clearances are on a per BL basis, sometimes, there are delays in the release of BL. It takes a few days for the BL to come out,” he added.

Azcona pointed out that the promulgation of the revised SO is not contingent on the rollout of an online portal that the SRA is developing to ease the application process, along with the establishment of a “green lane” for eligible importers.