RI HAS REALIZED 80 PCT OF ITS PLANNED SUGAR IMPORTS

Jakarta, April 12 (ANTARA) - The Trade Ministry predicted that up to the April 15, 2010 deadline, Indonesia would have carried out 80 to 90 percent of its planned crystal white sugar imports of 500,000 tons.

"Based on our calculation, 80 percent of the allocation have been imported so that (up to April 15) it will remain only 15 percent," Director General for Internal Trade Subagyo told a hearing with the House Commission VI for trade and industry affairs, here on Monday.

He said that the government would not extend the import license of sugar after the April 15 deadline because sugarcane harvest was expected to have reached its peak in May.

Now, harvests have begun in several sugarcane production centers. "We have set the April 15, 2010 deadline. We have to stop it after the deadline," the director general said.

The government last year, on November 24, decided to import sugar amounting to Rp500,000 tons. The period for the importation of the sugar was between January 1 and April 15, 2010.

The sugar would be imported to cover the shortage of sugar stocks and supply early this year.

The government issued licenses for the importation of sugar to six state-owned companies and the national logistics agency (Bulog).