BACOLOD CITY – The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has temporarily suspended the implementation of Sugar Order (SO) No. 6, which sets guidelines for the importation of certain sugars and sugar confectionery, following concerns raised by industry stakeholders.
“It is being suspended pending further consultations that will be conducted with industry representatives,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said in a statement released to the media here on Thursday.
SO No.6 aims to provide accurate data for better supply and demand planning, ultimately benefiting both local farmers and consumers.
“We have received letters and are actively reaching out to set up meetings with the concerned groups,” Azcona said, explaining that the decision to suspend SO 6 was made during the meeting of the SRA Board on Jan. 23.
Azcona said these concerns had been communicated through letters to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and SRA, prompting the board to delay the enforcement of SO 6 until a dialogue with the affected parties could take place.
“We welcome the opportunity to sit with them and find solutions to their concerns,” he added.
The two primary concerns raised were processing delays and compliance costs.
Azcona reassured stakeholders that the SRA processes over a thousand sugar-related import clearances annually, with approvals typically taking only two to three working days.
He also clarified that the processing fee for sugar imports under SO 6 is minimal, at PHP0.06 per kilogram, accounting for just 0.08 percent of total import costs.
Azcona said the SRA will soon launch an online portal for applications to further streamline the process.
“SRA and the DA are very careful that policies made do not affect the consumers as well,” he added. (PNA)
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