ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. sees no problem with the proposal to have warehouses in the province inspected for the volume of sugar stocks they have.
But according to Defensor, the inspection must have the blessings of the Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry and the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
The governor also said he wanted to know from the SRA if indeed there is a shortage in sugar in the region.
Defensor also supports the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s (SP) plan to hold an inquiry on the status of sugar stocks in warehouses.
SP member Matt Palabrica said, “There is an urgent need to inspect all local sugar warehouses and determine that indeed their stocks are continuously and gradually released, to determine that indeed the owners of the sugar stocks are not hoarding, and not as part of a cartels’ plan to get the government to approved sugar importation.”
Sugar farmers and planters insist, he pointed out, that the country has enough regular and reserve sugar stocks that could last until the new milling season which usually starts in the first or second week of October.
“It is no secret that only the traders, market manipulators, and corrupt government officials benefit from importation through manipulation of market forces and the intricacies of the sugar importation and trade,” said Palabrica./PN
