The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), the country’s biggest congregation of business owners, welcomed the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s deferment of the implementation of Sugar Order No. 6 mandating additional requirements for imports of sugar alternatives and other sugar-based products.

Earlier, SRA chief Pablo Azcona said the suspension of the implementation was decided during the meeting of the SRA Board last 23 January, as some players in the sugar industry are up in arms over it.

The SRA Order was to have been implemented last 1 February.

“We are glad that the SRA has listened to and has considered the concerns of sugar manufacturers, acting immediately on the postponement of the order’s implementation,” PCCI President Eunina Mangio said in a statement.

Roundtable discussion

An earlier roundtable discussion organized by the American Chamber of Commerce and Industry (whose participants include food and beverage manufacturers, industry associations and chambers of commerce) called on the SRA to conduct proper consultation with stakeholders and Regulatory Impact Assessment on any policy changes, as well as to align its regulations with the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s Ease of Doing Business for “simplified, efficient and transparent governance.”

The SRA’s Sugar Order No. 6 regulates the importation of sugar and sugar confectionery products with tariff headings 1701, 1702 and 1704.

Affected goods are those belonging to 1701 tariff headings, including sucrose, specialty sugar and flavored syrup, as well as goods under 1702, which include so-called “other sugars” like lactose, glucose, maltose, maple syrup, honey and caramel.

Additionally, commodities with tariff heading 1704 are sugar confectionery items such as chewing gum and white chocolate not containing cocoa.

Strict monitoring

Mangio said while the intention of S.O. No. 6 was valid, that is, to essentially protect the local producers by strictly monitoring the entry of imported sugar-based products and alternatives, such regulatory measures should not be to the detriment of other quarters in the industry that are legitimately doing business.

“There will always be good results in open dialogues and proper consultations. The government and private sector should work together for the benefit of both the local farmers and consumers,” Mangio added.

Earlier, the SRA said the order is for monitoring purposes, and to generate an accurate database on the entry of sugar-based products, to improve the agency’s supply and demand planning which will benefit farmers and consumers.