Sen. Binay addresses sugar industry concerns

CEBU, Philippines - Newly-elected Senator Nancy Binay met with the country’s sugar industry leaders in Cebu yesterday to address their concerns.

During the Philippine Sugar Technologists Association Inc.’s caucus of sugar millers and producers, Binay said issues were raised on sugar smuggling in general and the apprehension on what will happened to the 600,000 workers in the industry once the Philippines will enter with the Asean Free Trade Agreement.

“Kasi nga wala nang tariff kapag may AFTA na. Yung sugar smuggling naman, hindi naman nila sinasabing maraming sugar smuggling in Cebu but in general,” Binay said in an interview with The Freeman.

The Philippines is now preparing to join the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015, which has an objective of removing tariff and non-tariff barriers to further liberalize trade, financial and labor markets integration, among others.

During the 12th ASEAN Summit held in Cebu last 2007, the ASEAN leaders agreed to hasten the establishment of the AEC by 2015 and to transform ASEAN into a region with the free movement of goods, services, investments, skilled labor and freer flow of capital.

Binay filed the proposed Sugar Cane Industry Development Act of 2013 that seeks to address the current and forthcoming issues in the Philippine sugar industry whose contribution to economic development cannot be overemphasized.

“With the fluctuating price of sugar in the world market, the advancement in technology, the competition posed by international players, the Philippine sugar industry needs all the support from government,” the bill’s explanatory note reads.

The bill indicated that the industry faces a challenge in 2015, where sugar tariffs for imported sugar will be zero-rated and the continuing quota from the United States becomes uncertain.

The proposed bill also aims to establish a Sugar Cane Industry Development Fund to provide, among others, financial assistance to the sugar farmers, planters and mills covering purchase of seedlings, cane varieties, pesticides and fertilizers as well as provide scholarships for deserving university/college students taking relevant degrees in the industry.  (FREEMAN)