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The Bureau of Customs stepped up inspection of sugar warehouses amid the shortage of the commodity
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BOC did not say if irregularities were found in any of the inspections
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Inspected were warehouses in Quezon City and Bukidnon on August 23
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Another warehouse in Bukidnon was inspected on Aug 24
The Bureau of Customs has stepped up inspection of sugar warehouses amid the shortage of the commodity which some sectors allege are a consequence of smuggling.
The inspections are part of government’s campaign to bring down the price of sugar, BOC said in a statement. The statement did not mention irregularities found in any of the warehouses inspected.
On August 23, a joint government operation separately inspected warehouses in Quezon City and Bukidnon. Another operation was conducted on August 24 in a warehouse in Bukidnon.
The La Perla Sugar Export Corporation warehouse in Quezon City was checked by a composite team of agents from the BOC Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, the Enforcement and Security Service-Quick Response Team of the Manila International Container Port, and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
With a Letter of Authority (LOA) issued by Commissioner commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, the team moved to check warehouse contents and found 57,000 sacks of imported refined sugar from Thailand with an estimated value of P285 million. Each sack contained 50 kilos and was estimated to be worth P5,000.
BOC said the composite team and customs examiners conduct a routinary inventory and inspection of incoming goods. Clearances from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) covering the goods are also validated by the team.
In Bukidnon, officials of the BOC-Port of Cagayan de Oro, together with representatives of the AFP, Philippine National Police and SRA, also conducted on Aug 23 a surprise inspection of Crystal Sugar Company Inc. warehouse in North Poblacion, Maramag, Bukidnon province.
Showing an LOA and a Mission Order to warehouse personnel, the team proceeded to inspect the facility. A total of 466,142 bags of sugar were found in the warehouse.
Crystal Sugar Company vice president Javier Sagarbarria said 66% of the contents are owned by planters and traders. He noted the milling company can produce almost 3 million bags per year with the help of several planter associations in the province whose sugar products were processed in the company, with 66% produced in its favor, and 34% going to the miller.
On Aug. 24, the composite team also inspected the BUSCO Sugar Milling Corporation in Barangay Butong, Quezon, also in Bukidnon. BUSCO Officer-In-Charge Ellen B. Villaflora said the warehouse contained 110,674 bags of sugar, 26,000 of which are raw and the rest refined. Traders withdraw 10,000 to 15,000 bags per day from the facility, she added.
The two sugar mill companies assured authorities their products are locally produced and are serving the Northern Mindanao and Davao Region markets.
The companies, however, will still be required to produce the necessary documents to support their claims of being local sugar producers, including the submission of their respective Sugar Monitoring System Reports.
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