{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1073036,
        "msgid": "sugarcane-farmers-blasts-misuse-of-import-facility-1447893297",
        "date": "2001-09-25 00:00:00",
        "title": "Sugarcane farmers blasts misuse of import facility",
        "author": null,
        "source": "JP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Sugarcane farmers blasts misuse of import facility JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of sugarcane growers staged a rally at the House of Representatives building on Monday, asking the government to annul the special low import duty facility enjoyed by certain companies, saying some of them had misused the facility by reselling imported sugar on the domestic market rather than using it as a raw material in manufacturing processes.",
        "content": "<p>Sugarcane farmers blasts misuse of import facility<\/p>\n<p>JAKARTA (JP): Dozens of sugarcane growers staged a rally at <br>\nthe House of Representatives building on Monday, asking the <br>\ngovernment to annul the special low import duty facility enjoyed <br>\nby certain companies, saying some of them had misused the <br>\nfacility by reselling imported sugar on the domestic market <br>\nrather than using it as a raw material in manufacturing <br>\nprocesses.<\/p>\n<p>Mohammad Arum Sabil, chairman of the Association of Indonesian <br>\nCane Growers said that the reselling of cheaper imported sugar <br>\nhad created pressure on the price of local sugar, causing sugar <br>\nfarmers to suffer.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;Our findings show that some of them (the companies) resell <br>\nimported sugar in the domestic market, causing a decline in sugar <br>\nprices,&quot; Arum told reporters after his association lodged its <br>\ncomplaint with House of Representatives Commission III overseeing <br>\nagriculture and food affairs.<\/p>\n<p>The government has established a low import duty of between <br>\nzero and five percent for local companies using sugar as a raw <br>\nmaterial in manufacturing processes to protect local industries <br>\nfrom stiff international competition.<\/p>\n<p>But it also imposed a 25 percent duty on imported sugar to <br>\nprotect local farmers against cheaper imports.<\/p>\n<p>The high import duty will not be changed, even if the trade <br>\nliberalization agenda in the Southeast Asian region becomes <br>\neffective next year.<\/p>\n<p>Indonesia and the Philippines have been allowed by the ASEAN <br>\nFree Trade Area Council to delay the sugar import tariff cuts for <br>\nseveral more years before lowering them to a maximum of five <br>\npercent in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>However, Arum said that the lower import duty facility given <br>\nto certain companies was prone to abuse.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;The government must take stern measures to punish those firms <br>\nmisusing the facility. Otherwise, those companies will flood the <br>\ncountry&apos;s sugar market with cheap imported sugar, putting further <br>\npressure on domestic sugar prices,&quot; he said.<\/p>\n<p>Arum said the price of raw sugar had fallen to between Rp <br>\n2,900 (30 U.S. cents) and Rp 3,100 per kilogram (kg) today, from <br>\nabout Rp 3,700 per kg in July.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Kompas daily reported on Monday similar findings by <br>\na joint supervisory team on sugar.<\/p>\n<p>The team found that chocolate and candy maker PT Insan Boga <br>\nSejahtera had imported 25,200 tons of raw sugar, while it was <br>\nallowed only to import refined sugar as raw material for its <br>\nchocolate products and candies.<\/p>\n<p>Awal Kusuma, a legislator from the Golkar party who chairs the <br>\nHouse&apos;s commission III promised to help resolve the problem.<\/p>\n<p>&quot;We will ask the government to heed your complaints. <br>\nHopefully, this problems can be quickly resolved,&quot; Awal <br>\nsaid.(dmr)<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sugarcane-farmers-blasts-misuse-of-import-facility-1447893297",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}