SUGAR SMUGGLING, ITINANGGI NG PALASYO

February 23, 2023

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National News

Nanindigan si Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban na walang iregularidad sa ginawang pag aangkat ng asukal sa bansa.

Sa press briefing sa Malacañang kagabi, mariing sinabi ni Panganiban na walang iregularidad sa pagpasok ng imported na asukal.

Paglilinaw pa ng opisyal, base daw ito sa Memorandum ni Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin noong Enero 13, 2023 alinsunod na rin sa direktiba si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa pag-import ng asukal.

“In response to the directive of the President to address inflation and create a buffer stock and given that sugar as one of the components of most commodities that drive the consistently high inflation rate, I acted with haste and interpreted the memorandum issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary as an approval to proceed with the importation.” pahayag ni Panganiban.

“With the urgency of the situation, I instructed the capable and accredited companies to proceed with the importation of sugar, provided that they agree to reduce the prices of sugar, sell the commodity in a price that is commercially acceptable in the market and that they will shoulder the cost of warehousing,”

Matatandaang pinaratangan ni Senator Risa Hontiveros ang ilang mga opisyal ng pamahalaa nitong mga nakaraang araw. Tila nagkaroon daw ng government-sponsored smuggling nang dumating sa Batangas Port ang 260 na 20-foot containers na naglalaman ng asukal.

Nagmula sa Thailand ang asukal ilang araw bago ilabas ang importation order o ang Sugar Order No. 6 ng Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) noong February 15.