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More imported sugar to enter market to control inflation
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A worker carries a sack of sugar on his shoulder amid piles of sugar at a warehouse. (Tempo/-)
E
ight sugar producers and 11 distributors have agreed with the Trade Ministry to import 400,000 tons of raw sugar – equal to 360,000 tons of household sugar – from Australia, Brazil and Thailand at Rp 12,500 (93 US cents) per kilogram to control inflation.
“This was the first batch. We’ll let you know when the second batch will be dealt with,” said Trade Minister Enggartiasto “Enggar” Lukita on Monday.
Enggar refused to reveal whether the import permit for 400,000 tons of raw sugar had been issued.
(Read also: Household sugar imports reach 1.1 million tons in 2016: Farmers)
“We opened the chance of sugar imports from more than just one country so that there would be no competition in the price,” he added.
The ministry will approach local sugarcane processors about also selling their products at Rp 12,500 per kg to help control inflation, he said.
Indonesia’s household sugar consumption stands at 3.2 to 3.5 million tons a year. Local sugar production last year could only fulfill 2.1 million tons of it, said Enggar, adding that there was no prediction figure yet of the domestic sugar production.
He stressed that his ministry would continually work to anticipate supply shortages of the commodity.
The eight producers that are allowed to import sugar are PT Angels Products, PT Makassar Tene, PT Permata Dunia Sukses Utama, PT Sentra Usahatama Jaya, PT Andalan Furnindo, PT Medan Sugar Industry, PT Duta Sugar International and PT Jawamanis Rafinasi. (bbn)
