ID :
17436
Sat, 08/30/2008 - 09:45
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/17436
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GOVT NOT TO ISSUE SUGAR IMPORT PERMITS THIS YEAR
Jakarta, Aug 29 (ANTARA) - The Trade Ministry has given the assurance it will not issue sugar import permits this year on the ground year-end stocks are enough to meet consumers' needs until the January-April 2009 milling season.
"Our sugar stocks are quite safe and will even increase at the end of the year. We estimate current sugar stocks total 1.4 million tons so it is not likely we will need to import sugar this year," Director General of Foreign Trade Diah Maulida said during a visit to Krebet village in Bantul district on Friday to hand over production equipment 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 domestic need for sugar in the next four months would reach 1 million tons.
"So, our sugar stocks this year are quite safe," she said.
Indonesia has over the past few years been importing white crystal sugar to build up reserve stocks outside the milling season. However, the rise in domestic sugar output in recent years had prompted the government to cut sugar imports.
Responding to the Sugar Consumer Industries Forum (FIPG)'s complaint about the policy of shortening the duration of refined sugar import permits, she said she would evaluate the policy.
"This is the Industry Ministry's policy. We will first look at the policy in due course of time to ascertain whether 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 a 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 or three months from six months previously.
"But it is better to shorten the duration of 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 will even increase at the end of the year. We estimate current sugar stocks total 1.4 million tons so it is not likely we will need to import sugar this year," Director General of Foreign Trade Diah Maulida said during a visit to Krebet village in Bantul district on Friday to hand over production equipment 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 domestic need for sugar in the next four months would reach 1 million tons.
"So, our sugar stocks this year are quite safe," she said.
Indonesia has over the past few years been importing white crystal sugar to build up reserve stocks outside the milling season. However, the rise in domestic sugar output in recent years had prompted the government to cut sugar imports.
Responding to the Sugar Consumer Industries Forum (FIPG)'s complaint about the policy of shortening the duration of refined sugar import permits, she said she would evaluate the policy.
"This is the Industry Ministry's policy. We will first look at the policy in due course of time to ascertain whether 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 a 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 or three months from six months previously.
"But it is better to shorten the duration of the permits than to suddenly stop refined sugar imports. The Trade Ministry wants food and beverage industries to use local refined sugar," she said.
