W JAVA IMPORTED ONLY 4,000 TONS OF SUGAR SO FAR

Bandung, W Java, Feb 16 (ANTARA) - West Java province has so far imported only 4,000 tons of its sugar allocation of 21,000 tons, an official of the regional logistics board said.

"Up to the middle of this month, West Java has imported only 4,000 tons of the 21,000 tons of sugar allocated by West Java's Regional Logistics Board (Bulog)," its Spokesman Sobar Husein said here on Tuesday.

He said that of the 4,000 tons already arriving in West Java, a total of 1,500 tons had been channeled by distributors in West Java.

The imported sugar was sold at a price of Rp9,300 per kg. The imported sugar was distributed to meet the need for the commodity in West Java after consumers ran short of supplies.

The sugar scarcities have caused increase in sugar prices in the market up to Rp10,000 per kg.

Earlier in Jakarta, Trade Minister Mari Elka Pangestu said only 40,000 tons of the 50,000 tons sugar allocation had been imported since January 2010.

"It is estimated that a total of 200,000 tons would have arrived in the country by the end of February," the minister said here on Tuesday.

She said a total of 410,000 tons of sugar had been put on tender and were expected to have been imported by April 15 this year.

"The remaining ones are still evaluated but we hope a decision will be taken soon because we have guaranteed stocks," the minister added.

Commenting on the request of the Aceh governor on the importation of 10,000 tons of sugar, the minister said that regional governments should realize the importation of the allocation that had earlier been given.

"They have been given import allocation of 10,000 tons. It has realized 7,000 tons. So it has to import all of its allocation first," she said.

In the meantime, sugar prices are still showing small upward trend. The ministry of trade report indicated on Tuesday that the national average price rose Rp300 per kg to Rp11,203 per kg.