KUCHING: Food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers and players in Sarawak who want to import refined sugar from overseas can now apply for the permit from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.
Its deputy minister Chong Chieng Jen said to date one F&B manufacturer in Sarawak had successfully obtained the permit.
“We have received three applications so far, one has successful been granted the permit,” he said in a press conference
at the Democratic Action Party (DAP) headquarters here yesterday.
He said the two other applications were only received a week ago, and that the secretary general of the ministry would access them shortly.
“An application would normally take one month to approve, and those who want to apply for the permit can write to me, or directly to the Sarawak director, or the headquarters,” he said.
“Before this, the F&B sectors in Sarawak have to buy from sugar refinery companies in West Malaysia and thus sugar price could cost about RM2.70 or RM2.80 per kg,” he pointed out.
He said currently international sugar price is RM1.10 per kg, and after it is refined it would cost RM0.50 to RM0.70 higher, depending on the refinery process.
“The reason Sarawak is purchasing the refined sugar from West Malaysia at such a high price is because the purchasing volume is low as compared to the F&B sector in West Malaysia.
“And these companies would tell you, you take it or leave it because there is not much choice,” he said.
He said the few sugar refinery companies in West Malaysia are owned by two main groups thus the item was a monopoly of these groups.
“Therefore, my ministry is trying to help F&B manufacturers to get refined sugar at a much lower price from countries like Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam,” he stressed.
According to Chong, F&B manufacturers in Sarawak need at least a few hundred metric tons of sugar every year, and with the reduced cost of sugar the companies should be able to save more.
