Uncontrolled Sugar Imports Lead to Rp 680 Billion Loss for State-Owned Sugar Co

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The State-Owned Enterprises Regulatory Agency states that PT Sugar Co or PT Sinergi Gula Nusantara recorded a loss of Rp 680 billion in 2025.

The Head of the State-Owned Enterprises Regulatory Agency, Dony Oskaria, said the loss was triggered by uncontrolled sugar imports.

“Sugarco booked a loss of Rp 680 billion due to prices that were indeed not good enough, resulting from uncontrolled sugar imports,” Dony said during a Working Meeting with Commission VI of the House of Representatives at the Parliamentary Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, on Wednesday (8/4/2026).

The sugar governance issue is deemed to require serious handling. This condition risks recurring if not addressed.

“If this continues, it will be difficult for our sugar industry to develop due to leakages from refined sugar entering the market,” he stated.

The state-owned enterprise, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, once purchased people’s sugar worth Rp 1.5 trillion in 2025. This step was taken as a form of subsidy, but it is considered not yet effective.

That effort was aimed at encouraging national sugar self-sufficiency. Dony assessed that strong regulatory support is needed to address the import issues.

“Otherwise, in my opinion, it will be difficult for us to deal with sugar prices that then become leakages from refined sugar imports entering society,” Dony remarked.

Sugar consumption is recorded at 6.7 million tonnes. The breakdown consists of 3.9 million tonnes for industry and 2.8 million tonnes for consumption.

“With that, we still need 4.03 million tonnes,” said Amran.