REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Indonesia will import raw sugar this year to utilize idle capacity in several mills, the Vice Minister of Trade Bayu Krisnamurthi, said. The import of raw sugar enables the mills to fully produce sugar.

"By nature, we can only harvest the sugar cane once in five or six months. The milling process in Indonesia is only six months," he said.

The 260,000 tonnes of raw sugar will be imported by the end of this year. The import, to strengthen stockpiles for 2013, is expected to make the mills operate for 12 months.

The Director General of Foreign Trade Deddy Saleh said the authority of the import was given to sugar cane companies. Four companies from Perkebunan Nusantara have agreed to mill the raw sugar.

Yet, the Ministry of Trade has not yet given the import permit. The Deputy of Trade, Distribution and Logistics of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Natsir Mansyur said the import of raw sugar must be conducted immediately as its process would take long time."As late as early September, the permit must be issued," he said.

The accuracy of time is also important for raw sugar import. The sugar must be distributed on the first semester of 2012. Government, Mansyur said, must give special import permit for regions in the borders. Regions such as Sumatra, Kalimantan, North Sulawesi, and Riau need special treatment to prevent sugar shortage.

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