RI to import 300,000mt of sugar

RI to import 300,000mt of sugar

Indonesia will import 300,000 metric tons of white sugar in 2006, down from 500,000 tons planned for this year, Minister of Agriculture Anton Apriyantono said on Thursday in Jakarta.

Shipments must arrive between January and the middle of May, he told reporters.

Anton said the government decided on the amount for 2006 in view of this year's stocks, imports and output.

Minister of Trade Mari E. Pangestu said the government has appointed PT Perkebunan Nusantara IX, PT Perkebunan Nusantara X, PT Perkebunan Nusantara XI and PT Rajawali Nusantara to import the white sugar.

The four companies have yet to receive their import permits.

The permits will be issued sometime in the second week of October, Mari said.

Individual quota allocations will also be announced then, she said.

The government will set aside some of the imported white sugar as buffer stocks, which will be managed by a yet to be established body, Anton said.

This body will also be allowed to import, along with the four state-owned companies. -- Dow Jones