SILAY CITY – A one-peso monitoring fee will be imposed on every Lkg of sugar starting Jan. 20 to fund the industry's nationwide anti-smuggling program, Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Rafael Coscolluela said yesterday.

Coscolluela said that from the fee, a trust fund will be established under an oversight committee composed of representatives of the sugar industry.

“So that nobody will doubt whether we are using the fund properly or not,” he said.

Coscolluela said the sugar monitoring fee will be used exclusively for sugar monitoring and anti-smuggling operations as well as for sugar market promotion program.

The one-peso lien, however, will only be collected for crop 2007-2008. “After this, we'll see if it's needed again. We'll take it on a year by year basis,” the SRA chief said.

The fund will cover the cost of a nationwide anti-smuggling program and a sugar monitoring campaign that will ensure that all movement and storage of sugar in the Philippines is properly monitored and accounted for, Coscolluela said.

He said that he consulted with practically all the players in the industry and did not receive any objection to the collection of a one-lien, adding that everyone agreed that the sugar industry needs an effective anti-smuggling campaign.

SELLING OF SMUGGLED SUGAR

Meanwhile, Coscolluela said the selling of imported refined sugar is illegal and the SRA will file charges against retailers caught disposing the commodity.

“Some retailers claim that they do not know that it is illegal to sell imported refined sugar,” he said.

Coscolluela said it is “almost sure” that refined sugar from either Thailand or Korea sold in retail outlets is smuggled.

Some of the retailers have even become so brazen, he said, they don't even bother hiding the sacks indicating that the refined sugar are from abroad.

“Technically, we can determine (that the refined sugar is imported) through analysis,” Coscolluela said.*NLG

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