The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured on Wednesday the “open importation” of sugar with the expected participation of some 35 to 40 importers.
“At least 35 to 40 importers. We will be importing sugar [and] the President [Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.] has finalized the [importation] 150,000 metric tons [MT],” DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban said.
“Although it is an open importation, it has to be selected on the basis of their qualification based on SRA [Sugar Regulatory Administration] standard,” he said.
Panganiban also said that production shortfall may necessitate the importation of sugar. “Our production…is only 1.7 million metric tons [MMT], compared to what we require, which is 2.2 metric tons [MT], so [we fell] short [by] 440,000 MT…,” the DA official added.
Moreover, the government has targeted the imported sugar to be delivered by September this year.
“We need the 150,000 MT before September 30, 2023. And then the SRA will issue the sugar order [SO] already. We assure the [availability of the] SO before the end of the month,” Panganiban added.
“We will be expecting the prices will be ranging from P80 to P90 per kilo, once the sugar arrives,” he said.
Earlier, SRA Acting Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona assured the planned importation would be “above board” and open to all eligible international traders.
The controversial importation of 440,000 MT under SO 6 issued on February 15 was awarded to three companies handpicked by the DA, namely, All Asian Countertrade Inc., (240,000 MT); Edison Lee Marketing Corp. (100,000 MT), and S&D Sucden Philippines Inc. (100,000 MT).
The arrival of part of the imports six days before the SO was signed prompted Sen. Risa Hontiveros to call for a Senate probe, claiming such importation could be tantamount to smuggling.
Meanwhile, the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) also “vehemently opposed” the plan to import more sugar and instead called on relevant government agencies to impose a price cap.
“We have not imported the entire 450,000 MT and we are planning to buy another 150,000 MT. For us, the additional importation will give an extra commission to the [DA] and SRA officials who approved it and provide billions in income to complicit sugar traders, while the price of sugar in the retail markets in the country remains high,” said NFSW secretary general John Milton Lozande.