- Sugar groups vowed to help the Bureau of Customs curb sugar smuggling
- The Sugar Anti-smuggling Organization, in particular, offered to exchange reports with BOC on alleged sugar smuggling activities
- Smuggling activities have become more complex involving identity theft of local and international companies
The country’s biggest sugar bloc, United Sugar Producers Federation (UNiFED), and the Sugar Anti-smuggling Organization (SASO) offered support to the Bureau of Customs in its bid to curb sugar smuggling.
In a video call with Acting Customs Commissioner Yogi Filemon Ruiz, UNiFED chairman Manuel Lamata said his organization will assist Ruiz in his campaign against sugar smuggling and discuss plans for cooperation.
Sugar producers have of late complained about illegal sugar shipments. A highly regulated product requiring import clearances from authorized government agencies, sugar is one of the most lucrative commodities to smuggle in the Philippines, the BOC said in a statement.
SASO chief Edgardo Lomanog Jr. assured Ruiz during a courtesy call that his group would exchange reports with the Bureau of Customs (BOC) on alleged sugar smuggling activities.
Lomanog said smuggling activities have become more complex involving identity theft of local and international companies.
Ruiz assured Lamata and Lomanog the BOC would regularly consult stakeholders to resolve smuggling of agricultural products.
“Rest assured of the actions that the Bureau of Customs will be conducting regarding sugar smuggling. We will be working together,” Ruiz said.
“The information you will provide (with us) will be acted upon immediately. I will be tasking intelligence and enforcement Groups to be aggressive on speculated sugar smuggling. It is one of the primary directives of the President so I will be acting on it,” he added.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has directed Ruiz to work with government agencies and private organizations to heighten border protection efforts of the agency against unscrupulous importers of agricultural products.
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