Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) | FILE PHOTO
Companies which are delivery in sugar options from overseas now must pay charges and are required to safe import permits that might assist in monitoring inbound quantity, based on the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
The SRA has promulgated Sugar Order (SO) No. 6 which slapped a clearance charge of P3 per 50-kilogram (kg) bag or P60 per metric ton on imported “sugars” and “sugar confectionery” besides fructose.
READ: Sugar farmers urge regulation of synthetic sweeteners
The SRA launched SO 6 on Jan. 2 this yr, though it was dated Nov. 18, 2024.
For fructose, the regulator stated the clearance charge is ready at P30 per 50-kg bag of uncooked sugar equal as acknowledged in Part 2.1 of SO 3 issued in crop yr 2016-2017.
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Additionally, the SRA now requires a delivery allow for any coastwise motion or transport of sugar substitutes lined by the newest SO.
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Extra measures
Some business teams welcomed the SRA’s newest transfer to levy import charges on sugar options, however known as on the regulator to implement different measures to manipulate any such sweetener for the sake of native farmers.
“This has been our request for therefore a few years and at last this administration has imposed the charge. These industries should purchase native sugar, not imported,” United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines president Manuel Lamata stated in a Viber message over the weekend.
Enrique Rojas, president of the Nationwide Federation of Sugarcane Planters, stated the directive “is a transfer in the proper path,” though he stated the charge ought to be larger and the SRA ought to have acted on the difficulty a lot earlier.
“It’s excessive time that SRA imposes the import clearance charges, and it must also discover different measures to make sure that sugar options don’t considerably displace the demand for native sugar,” Rojas stated in a textual content message.
Rojas additionally stated imported sugar options ought to be underneath some form of regulation no matter their tariff classification.
Furthermore, he requested the federal government to handle the impression of sweetener substitutes on sugar farmers’ livelihood and the well being of most of the people.
The most recent directive contains all “sugars” underneath heading 17.01 of the Asean Harmonized Nomenclature: sucrose, specialty sugar and flavored syrups.
It additionally covers “different sugars” underneath heading 17.02 equivalent to fructose, lactose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, maltodextrin, maple sugar and maple syrup, sugar syrup, palm sugar, coconut sap sugar, honey and caramel.
Moreover, the SO contains all “sugar confectionery” underneath heading 17.04 equivalent to white chocolate not containing cocoa and chewing gum.
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The SRA issued SO 6 to handle business stakeholders’ considerations in regards to the inflow of sugar substitutes that have an effect on the livelihood of sugar farmers and procure correct information on the quantity of different varieties of sugar sourced from overseas. INQ