THE PHILIPPINE Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said it supports delaying the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) new import clearance fees for some non-sugar sweeteners.
“We are glad that the Sugar Regulatory Administration has listened to and considered valid the concerns of the manufacturers, and acted immediately on the postponement of the order’s implementation,” PCCI President Eunina V. Mangio said in a statement on Tuesday.
Sugar Order (SO) No. 6, originally set to take effect on Feb. 1, imposes a P60 per metric ton clearance fee on imported commodities covered by tariff codes 1701, 1702 and 1704. These include sucrose, lactose, glucose, maltose, maple syrup, honey and caramel, and flavored syrups.
Additionally, commodities under tariff code 1704 include chewing gum and white chocolate not containing cocoa.
Last week, the SRA postponed the effectivity of SO 6 after pushback from food and beverage manufacturers, industry associations and chambers of commerce, citing the potential impact on confectionery and beverage prices from the higher fees.
The PCCI said industry groups also called on the SRA to consult at more broadly and conduct a Regulatory Impact Assessment on any policy changes.
Groups also urged the regulator to adopt the Anti-Red Tape Authority’s Ease of Doing Business approach, which calls for “simplified, efficient, and transparent governance.”
“Such regulatory measure should not be to the detriment of other quarters in the industry that are legitimately doing business,” Ms. Mangio added.
The SRA has said that the order is intended to help document and better monitor the entry of imported non-sugar sweeteners, and not to restrict their entry.
Domestic sugar producers had asked the SRA to regulate the entry of other sweeteners due to its threat to the sugar industry. — Adrian H. Halili