Sugar Regulatory Administration chief James Ledesma said the industry has identified ways to prepare for 2010 when the ASEAN Free Trade Area tariff for sugar will go down to only five percent.

Ledesma, in a presentation at a local business and industry forum, said that three years from now, a possible scenario is that the world market price of sugar will fluctuate to between $0.10 and $0.14 per pound and assuming that cost and exchange rates remain at its present levels, that could translate to between P661 and P892 per Lkg.

Singson says he'll push for tobacco law
counterpart for sugar-producing areas

Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson said in a press release yesterday he will introduce a legislation to complement the Biofuels Act if he will be given the privilege to serve as senator.

Singson, who is expected in Negros Occidental today with his fellow candidates in the Team Unity, said he believes it is important to optimize the financial windfall that shall be derived by the sugar producing provinces of Negros from the Biofuels Act of 2006. He said that one way to plow back revenues to sugar producing provinces is to craft a law similar to the Republic Act 7171 Virginia Tobacco Law he authored in 1992 when he served as congressman, the press release said.

DOLE to set up 7
jobs kiosks in Region 6

The Department of Labor and Employment will set up seven jobs kiosks in Western Visayas this year, part of the 100 that will be opened nationwide, to facilitate better jobs search services in the region.

The ATM-like kiosks will be situated in strategic places like city and municipal halls, and malls to facilitate better employment and efficient deployment of job seekers.

These kiosks are designed to enable job seekers to register their skills profile and look for suitable jobs, DOLE said.*NLG

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