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Tuesday May 13, 1:40 PM
Vietnam Loses $30,000 a Day Due to Sugar SmugglersHANOI, May 13 Asia Pulse The Vietnamese State loses about VND500 million (US$31,250) in import tax revenues per day due to sugar smuggling, says Viet Nam Sugar and Sugar Cane Association general secretary Ha Huu Phai. "Its very difficult for us to catch smugglers in the act," said Nguyen Van Suc, deputy director of the Khanh Binh Customs Check Point. "Smuggling occurs in the Binh Di River because we only have the power to manage part of the river."
Competition from smuggled product as well as rising raw material prices have put domestic sugar producers in a pinch. "Domestic manufacturers have had to reduce sugar prices to compete with smuggled sugar. Many of them are in perfunctory operation, and some have had to stop production," said Phai. Under WTO and ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) commitments, Vietnam imports 58 tonnes of refined sugar per day with a 40-per-cent import duty, or 20-per-cent from ASEAN member states. To solve the difficulties for enterprises and reduce losses for the State, its necessary for the Government and the sugar cane industry to closely manage imports under these commitments while trying to prevent smuggling, said Phai. The current wholesale price of sugar is estimated at VND7-7,500/kg in the north and VND7,500-7,800/kg in the south, while retail prices on the market range from VND9,000 to VND11,000/kg. The country's sugar output is expected to reach 1.14 million tonnes in 2007-08, a decline of 13,000 tonnes from the previous crop. (VNA)
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