Workers protest imported sugar

Workers protest imported sugar

Ainur R. Sophia'an and Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya/Cirebon

Thousands of sugar farmers and peasants employed by sugar
plantations in West and East Java went on strike Thursday to
protest sugar imports that have affected the sugar industry at
home.

Traffic jams clogged several main streets in Surabaya when
more than 3,000 demonstrators employed by state-owned sugar
plantations in East Java marched on the provincial legislative
building and the governor's office in the city.

While carrying banners condemning President Megawati
Soekarnoputri's leadership, the demonstrators called on the
President to step down because she failed to provide protection
for millions of people earning their living from the sugar
industry.

"We are disappointed with the absence of government measures
to halt sugar imports that have damaged sugar farmers, 32 sugar
factories in the province and millions of people employed in
sugar plantations and factories across the country," Marsidik
Samaoen, chairman of the Forum of Solidarity for Sugar Farmers,
said in a speech in front of the governor's office.

He said the presence of low-priced sugar in the local market
has caused many factories to hoard their products and forced the
layoff of hundreds of workers.

The imported sugar was allegedly from Thailand, India,
Pakistan, China and Brazil.

The imported sugar was sold between Rp 200 and Rp 500 cheaper
than the local product. The local sugar is sold between Rp 3,200
and Rp 3,600 per kilogram.

East Java Governor Imam Utomo said that he would discuss the
imported sugar issue with his sugar team in order to take the
necessary measures to protect the sugar industry in the province.

"Sugar imports have been banned and I will ask the police to
crack down on local markets and seize imported sugar. We have
allowed only food and beverage factories to import raw sugar
materials," he said when asked to respond to the demonstrators'
demands.

East Java has produced around 885 tons of sugar annually and
396,000 tons of it was supplied to the local market in the
province.

In Cirebon, demonstrators called on the Cirebon regency
legislature to channel their aspirations to the central
government, demanding that the government stop the sugar imports
and establish a joint team to crack down on imported sugar in
local market.

Anwar Kasmali, chairman of the local chapter of the Indonesian
Sugar Producers (APTRI), said the government could protect the
local products by imposing higher excise taxes for imported sugar
and allowing only sugar factories to import raw sugar materials.

Suryana, chairman of the regency legislature, vowed to bring
the demonstrators' aspirations to the President after the
latter's arrival from her foreign trip.

"The government must respond positively to the sugar
community's aspirations," he said in a meeting with the
demonstrators.