DA warns sugar vendors vs hiking prices

An Agriculture official on Friday warned vendors against selling sugar above P52 per kilo, saying the government has not yet approved any adjustment in the commodity’s retail prices. Department of Agriculture (DA) Assistant Secretary Salvador Salacup reminded the vendors the Trade Department can sanction them if they are caught selling the sugar above the suggested retail price (SRP). “Yung ibang stalls P60 pero mukhang extreme na yan. Kung magkaroon ng bagong level isa-sanction na natin yan. As of today wala pang bagong SRP level," " he said in an interview on dzBB radio. (Some stalls are reportedly selling sugar at P60/kilo, but that’s a bit extreme. The government will sanction those selling sugar at prices above the SRP. As of today, there has been no change in SRP levels.) He said there has been a recommendation to adjust the SRP to P56 per kilo, but the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC), chaired by Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, has yet to approve it. Salacup said the proposal to hike sugar prices stemmed from the high demand for juices and soft drinks during the long dry spell, and the rise in sugar prices in the world market. However, Salacup he said Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said his department will abide by the decision of the NPCC. On the other hand, Salacup said some 160,000 tons of imported sugar have started to arrive. “Inaalam pang mabuti ang computations na karapat-dapat (We are still doing the computations)," he said. — LBG/VVP, GMANews.TV