Sales from smuggled sugar to be remitted to state coffers, then eyed for distribution to farmers
THE SALES from smuggled sugar seized by the government and set to be sold in state-supported Kadiwa retail stores will be remitted to the national coffers, an official of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said on Monday.
Pablo Luis S. Azcona, board member and planters’ representative at the SRA, said they are looking at mechanisms to allocate the money, which will be parked at the Bureau of Treasury, to assist farmers who could be affected by the release of the illegally imported sugar to the market.
“The actual default (of the fund) is to the national treasury. So, as a sugar farmer myself, I’ve been requesting (Agriculture Assistant Secretary) Kristine (Y. Evangelista) if we can find a way to get the money to assist the affected farmers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Azcona said they are still finalizing the logistics for distributing the sugar to Kadiwa stores, and the SRA has already sought assistance from other attached agencies of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Among the logistical challenges are repacking the 4,000 metric tons (MT) — or 4 million kilograms — of sugar into one-kilo packs.
Authorities are looking at selling the seized white sugar at P70 per kilo, possibly not just in Kadiwa stores but in regular retail outlets.
Mr. Azcona also said the confiscated sugar will undergo sanitary and phytosanitary test before distribution.
“Rest assured before (the sugar) goes to Kadiwa, it will be tested by the SRA to make sure it’s safe for human consumption,” he said.
In an earlier interview with BusinessWorld, Mr, Azcona said that about 89,000 MT of refined sugar has arrived in the country, part of the 440,000 MT authorized to be imported by Sugar Order No. 6 (SO 6).
To date, the prevailing price of refined sugar in Metro Manila ranges from P86 – P110 per kilo, based on the DA’s price monitoring. The government is targeting a retail price of P85 to P90 per kilo. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera
