The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has finally moved to tighten rules on the imports of artificial sweeteners, as the government seeks to curb its ‘long-practiced’ unregulated entry that erodes demand for local raw sugar.
SRA issued Sugar Order (SO) 5, which imposes a P25-per-kilo clearance fee on the importation of artificial sweeteners under Harmonized System (HS) codes 2106 and chapter 29, which are used in the manufacture of food and beverages.
This covers, but is not limited to, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, processed stevia, as well as sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, and acesulfame potassium.
The SRA decided to issue the order following consultative meetings in which stakeholders raised their ‘grave concern’ on the effects of ‘the long-practiced unregulated importation into the country of artificial sweeteners’ on the local sugar sector.
The agency noted that despite its substantial impact on the five million Filipinos dependent on the domestic sugar industry, ‘the importation into the country of ‘artificial sweeteners’ remains unregulated.’
‘Artificial sweeteners have sweetness that far exceeds that of cane sugar (i.e., 2 to more than 500 times); thus, it is necessary to integrate the effects thereof upon the welfare, growth, development, and competitiveness of the sugar industry and the health and well-being of the Filipino people,’ the SRA said.
An import clearance from the regulatory agency is required before shipments are released by the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The SO 5, however, stipulated that applications for clearance for release would be deemed approved if the SRA failed to act on the application after five working days from its submission.
Meanwhile, the SRA said its monitoring personnel would conduct unannounced inspections of the warehouse, transportation, and/or ledger of the imported goods, products, and ingredients covered under the SO.
Industry stakeholders have been raising the alarm over a ‘largely unregulated influx’ of artificial sweeteners that threatens the local sector’s viability.
In February, the SRA said it received a manifesto from the sugar industry which called on the government to regulate artificial sweeteners and impose tighter measures on other sugar substitutes.
The manifesto was signed by major sugar federations nationwide along with sugar millers, refiners, and allied industry groups.
Furthermore, the Philippine Sugar Millers’ Association Inc. (PSMA) backed the government’s bid to regulate synthetic sweeteners.
This came after Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito and Negros Occidental Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez filed Senate Bill 2114 and House Bill 9088, respectively, to amend Republic Act (RA) 10659 or the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (Sida).
‘Policies focused on strengthening domestic production and ensuring fair market conditions are essential to protecting the industry from market volatility, sustaining rural livelihoods, and promoting long-term food security,’ the PSMA said.