BACOLOD City – The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) announced that the implementation of Sugar Order (SO) No. 6 has been suspended pending further consultations with industry representatives.
SRA administrator Pablo Azcona confirmed on Thursday, January 30, that the SO 6, which sets guidelines for the importation of certain sugars and sugar confectionery, was suspended.
The decision was made during the January 23 meeting of the SRA board in response to concerns raised by stakeholders in the sugar industry, he added.
Azcona explained that these concerns had been communicated through letters to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and SRA, prompting the board to delay the order’s enforcement until dialogue with the affected parties could take place.
“We have received letters and are actively reaching out to set up meetings with the concerned groups,” Azcona said.
He further clarified that the DA had been tasked with facilitating these discussions to address the industry’s specific fears and concerns.Two key issues were identified during the consultation process: concerns about processing delays and the associated costs of compliance.
Azcona reassured the sugar industry that the SRA processes over a thousand sugar-related import clearances each year, with typical processing times averaging just two to three working days.
“We have been issuing import clearances for fructose under the same 1702 code since 2017, and there have been no reports of delays or disruptions to business operations,” he stated.
Regarding costs, Azcona said the processing fee for sugar imports under SO 6 is minimal — only P0.06 per kilo, which represents about 0.08 percent of the total cost of importing other sugars.
“The fee that is being charged is 0.08 percent of their cost. Hindi naman po maintindihan, ba’t mo pa itataas iyong bilihin?” he said, noting that it is only equivalent to 0.06 centavos per kilogram, P3 per bag, or P60 per ton.
To further streamline the process, he announced that the SRA is set to launch an online portal for applications.
Azcona emphasized that the goal of SO 6 is to provide accurate data for better supply and demand planning, ultimately benefiting both local farmers and consumers.
“SRA and the DA are very careful that policies made do not affect the consumers as well,” said Azcona./PN
