Import Is A Solution To Fulfill The Availability Of Sugar Ahead Of Eid

JAKARTA - The government guarantees the availability of basic necessities and essential goods (Bapokting) at stable prices amid the outbreak of the corona virus or COVID-19, which has also entered Indonesia. To ensure supply, the Ministry of Trade has issued import approvals (PI) for several commodities. one of them is sugar.

The government issued 438 thousand tons of sugar import permits. The Minister of Trade, Agus Suparmanto, explained that the importation was intended to increase stocks in order to anticipate demand ahead of Eid and the fasting month.

According to Agus, sugar import permits issued are not only for consumption sugar, but include sugar that needs to be refined or raw sugar.

"I have issued import approvals for several commodities that require additional stocks. The import permits that we have issued are 438,802 tonnes of raw crystal sugar which has been used as raw material for white crystal sugar for consumption," he said in a press conference at Hotel Borobudur. Gambir, Central Jakarta, Tuesday, March 3.

Agus said that the importation of that much is believed to be able to meet the needs of the industry until May 2020. In other words, the supply of sugar during Lebaran 2020 will be sufficient.

Even so, when asked to whom the import permit was granted, Agus was reluctant to elaborate further. "There are several companies. All of them are involved. There are private companies, there are BUMNs," he said.

Not only that, when the media crew tried to confirm this import permit. Again, Agus is reluctant to answer, when will this permit be issued and how long is it valid for.

"It requires a process in the next few days. Permits by several companies," he said.