By Dolly Yasa
BACOLOD CITY – Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Pablo Azcona announced on Thursday that the implementation of Sugar Order 6 (SO 6), which sets guidelines for the importation of certain sugars and sugar confectionery, has been suspended pending further consultations with industry representatives.
Azcona said the decision to suspend SO 6 was reached during the SRA Board’s meeting on Jan. 23 in response to concerns raised by sugar industry stakeholders.
He explained that these concerns were communicated through letters sent to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the SRA, prompting the board to delay the order’s enforcement until consultations with affected parties could be conducted.
“We have received letters and are actively reaching out to set up meetings with the concerned groups,” Azcona said.
He added that the DA had been tasked with facilitating these discussions to address specific fears and concerns raised by the industry.
Two primary issues emerged during the consultation process: concerns over processing delays and the costs associated with compliance.
Azcona reassured the industry that the SRA processes over 1,000 sugar-related import clearances annually, with typical processing times averaging 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.
On the cost issue, Azcona clarified that the processing fee for sugar imports under SO 6 is minimal—only PHP 0.06 per kilo—representing about 0.08 percent of the total cost of importing other sugars.
To further streamline the process, Azcona announced plans to launch an online portal for processing applications.
He emphasized that the primary 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 consumers,” Azcona said.
He added, “Again, their fears are unfounded as these are all speculative at the moment since the order has not been implemented yet, and we welcome the opportunity to sit with them and find solutions to their concerns.”
