Indonesia issues permits to import 150,000 T of white sugar

• The government has pledged to ease import rules for certain foods during the coronavirus outbreak to ensure the country has enough food.
• She said the government expects the sugar shipments to arrive before the end of June, when the milling season is expected to start.

JAKARTA: Indonesia has issued import permits for 150,000 tonnes of white sugar, Musdhalifah Machmud, a deputy minister at the Coordinating Ministry of Economic Affairs told Reuters on Wednesday.

The government has appointed state companies Bulog, Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (RNI) and Perusahaan Perdagangan Indonesia to each import 50,000 tonnes of sugar, Machmud said.

"White sugar stock in the market is thinning, so we need to take quick steps to handle this," she said, adding that Indonesia typically requires 220,000 tonnes of white sugar per month.

The government has pledged to ease import rules for certain foods during the coronavirus outbreak to ensure the country has enough food.

She said the government expects the sugar shipments to arrive before the end of June, when the milling season is expected to start.

RNI plans to open the tender for the sugar purchases next week, CEO Eko Taufik Wibowo told Reuters.

"Maybe we'll have the auction next week for arrival around 2-3 weeks after the import documents and auction are finished," he said.