EDITORIAL - More questions on sugar

The chaotic handling of the sugar situation highlights the need for urgent reforms in both the industry and the government agencies overseeing the country’s sugar supply and prices.

Yesterday during the continuation of the Senate inquiry on sugar importation, Leocadio Sebastian clarified that his resignation, which he tendered on Aug. 11 as undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture, has not been accepted after all by Malacañang. Instead, Sebastian, an agriculture scientist with civil service eligibility, said he has been placed on 90-day preventive suspension. Malacañang confirmed this later in the day.

Sebastian had offered to step down after convening the Sugar Regulatory Administration board and signing, on behalf of the President and DA secretary, Sugar Order No. 4, allowing the importation of 300,000 MT of sugar. He told the Senate that he thought he had acted within the scope of his authority, as defined in an order signed by Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez. Sebastian said he had also notified Rodriguez about the SRA’s sugar importation order.

As for those “visitations” on several warehouses around the country, during which tons of sugar were found, owners of the warehouses denied yesterday that they were hoarding and stressed that their stocks were covered by all the required permits. They want government agencies led by the Bureau of Customs to release the sugar stocks impounded from several warehouses.

They also insisted that the country is facing a genuine sugar shortage, which necessitates importation to stabilize supply and prices. The decision of President Marcos, who is the concurrent agriculture secretary, to proceed with the importation of 150,000 metric tons of sugar by October bears out the existence of a shortage.

The President has appointed another agriculture undersecretary, Domingo Panganiban. Lawmakers are pondering proposals to abolish the SRA; opponents say what is needed is to refocus the efforts of the agency on its original mandate, which is the development of the domestic sugar industry.

Even as the government addresses the sugar supply situation, the country’s 93 percent reliance on imports for its salt needs has also been revealed. There is also a debate on whether there is a shortage of white onions, which will require importation. Domestic producers say this is the lean season and imports are inevitable to stabilize onion supply and prices.

The government has not yet fully addressed the problems of the broiler producers, which have resulted in undersized chicken and parts in the market. Yesterday, agriculture officials said supply is also tightening for native garlic and pork.

All these problems involving the country’s food security call for efficient responses. The sugar mess is raising questions about the quality of management in the new administration. It will need decisive action to correct perceptions of disorganization that can compromise governance.