ID :
17420
Fri, 08/29/2008 - 21:25
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/17420
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GOVT ASSURES NOT TO ISSUE SUGAR IMPORT PERMITS THIS YEAR
Jakarta, Aug 29 (ANTARA) - The Trade Ministry has given the assurance that it will not issue a permit to sugar importers this year on the ground year-end stocks will be enough to meet the need for the commodity before the January-April 2009 milling season arrives.
"Our sugar stocks are quite safe and even will increase at the end of this year. We predict our current sugar stocks at 1.4 million tons so it is not likely to import sugar this year," Director General of Foreign Trade Diah Maulida said on the sidelines of her visit at Krebet village in Bantul district on Friday to hand over production means worth Rp700 million to small scale wood, stone and bamboo handicraftsmen.
She said the country's sugar consumption averaged 250,000 tons a month, meaning that the sugar needs in the next four months would reach 1 million tons.
"So, our sugar stocks this year are quite safe," she said.
In the past couple of years, Indonesia imported white crystal sugar as stock reserves outside the milling season. However, the rise in domestic sugar output in recent years has prompted the government to cut sugar imports.
Responding to the Sugar Consumer Industries Forum (FIPG)'s complaint about the policy of shortening permits to import refined sugar, she said she would evaluate the policy.
"This is the Industry Ministry's policy. We will first look at the policy at the given time to ascertain whether the import can be realized or they can use local refined sugar," she said.
She said she was fully aware of the complaint from the FIPG which is made up of large-scale food and beverage producers such as milk and toddler food producers.
"Small scale industries such as candy makers do not have problem with the policy. But large-scale industries need adequate time to adjust to it," she said.
Only recently, the Trade Ministry decided to shorten the validity period of permits to import refined sugar to two-three months from six months previously.
"But it would be better to shorten the permits than to suddenly stop refined sugar imports. The Trade Ministry wants food and beverage industries to use local refined sugar," she said.
"Our sugar stocks are quite safe and even will increase at the end of this year. We predict our current sugar stocks at 1.4 million tons so it is not likely to import sugar this year," Director General of Foreign Trade Diah Maulida said on the sidelines of her visit at Krebet village in Bantul district on Friday to hand over production means worth Rp700 million to small scale wood, stone and bamboo handicraftsmen.
She said the country's sugar consumption averaged 250,000 tons a month, meaning that the sugar needs in the next four months would reach 1 million tons.
"So, our sugar stocks this year are quite safe," she said.
In the past couple of years, Indonesia imported white crystal sugar as stock reserves outside the milling season. However, the rise in domestic sugar output in recent years has prompted the government to cut sugar imports.
Responding to the Sugar Consumer Industries Forum (FIPG)'s complaint about the policy of shortening permits to import refined sugar, she said she would evaluate the policy.
"This is the Industry Ministry's policy. We will first look at the policy at the given time to ascertain whether the import can be realized or they can use local refined sugar," she said.
She said she was fully aware of the complaint from the FIPG which is made up of large-scale food and beverage producers such as milk and toddler food producers.
"Small scale industries such as candy makers do not have problem with the policy. But large-scale industries need adequate time to adjust to it," she said.
Only recently, the Trade Ministry decided to shorten the validity period of permits to import refined sugar to two-three months from six months previously.
"But it would be better to shorten the permits than to suddenly stop refined sugar imports. The Trade Ministry wants food and beverage industries to use local refined sugar," she said.
