Government Issues Import License For 1.5m Tons Of Raw Sugar

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian government through the Ministry of Trade Affairs has issued a license to import 1.5 million tons of raw sugar which will be used to meet the needs of the food and beverage industries in the country.

The 1.5 million tons of raw sugar is aimed to meet the needs of food and beverage industries for the next six months, or until the first semester of 2017, Trade Affairs Minister Enggartiasto Lukita told the press here Wednesday.

The import license will be given to 11 refining companies, and the raw sugar will be processed by them to meet the demand for refined sugar, he revealed.

With the issuing of the license, there will be no further delay in the supply of raw sugar to the refining companies, he added.

The quantity of the imported raw sugar will be distributed according to the contract between the refining companies and the food and beverage industries.

Additionally, if there is a leakage (in the distribution) of the refined sugar to the consumer markets, and if it does not fulfill the needs of the food and beverage industries, he will not hesitate to impose sanctions, the minister declared.

"We will tackle the leakage. We will seek clarification from the businessmen. If there is a deviation, we'll revoke the license," he stated.

In 2016, the total quantity of raw sugar imported for the refining industries in the country reached 3.2 million tons. (WDY)