On December 19, the Ministry of Industry and Trade responded in writing to the recommendations of the Vietnam Sugarcane Association (VSSA) on proposing measures to be applied when implementing commitments of the integration industry of ATIGA.
Specifically, with the proposal to establish a Commission consultation mechanism with multi-party representatives from the concerned ministries, the Sugarcane Association, the Sugarcane Farmers Association, the Research Institute, etc. consult objectively about supply and demand balance, recommend reasonable prices to ensure income for sugar producers and consumers.
The Commission annually calculates and recommends that the purchase price of agricultural sugarcane be sufficiently successful at a minimum of 10% but not higher than the price of sugarcane farmers in the region. The Commission annually calculates and recommends the cost of sugar at a cane / sugar ratio of 70% / 30%.
Responding to this suggestion, The Ministry of Industry and Trade said that under the current law, the establishment of an interdisciplinary mechanism as proposed by the Sugarcane Association is beyond the Ministry's authority. Therefore, the Ministry of Industry and Trade cannot implement this proposal.
However, in order to create conditions for the competent authorities to consider and resolve VSSA's recommendations in the event that the Association continues to petition to the competent authorities, VSSA needs to pay more attention to why agricultural products Other products, especially those that are essential or have weak competitiveness such as rice, livestock, salt production … do not have this inter-sectoral mechanism but the sugar industry needs this mechanism, Ministry of Industry and Trade. suggestions.
Regarding the proposal to negotiate with ASEAN to bring sugar products into Schedule E of the tariff schedule to apply Article 24 of the ATIGA Agreement on special treatment for sensitive products such as rice and sugar.
Regarding the ASEAN-Protocol on Special Treatment of Rice and Sugar, signed on August 23, 2007, amended on October 28, 2010, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has implemented activities from the beginning of 2019 to explore the applicability of this Decree in the case of Vietnam.
Specifically, at the 30th Conference (CCA-30) of the Coordinating Committee for implementation of ATIGA, Vietnam officially asked the Legal and Monitoring Division (LSAD) of the ASEAN Secretariat to clarify some Provisions of the Protocol on Special Treatment of Rice and Sugar.
Because LSAD's answer was not satisfactory, at the CCA-31 Vietnam Meeting again requested and the Conference approved Vietnam's proposal that LSAD needed a satisfactory answer before the CCA Conference. The 32nd will take place in February 2020.
Therefore, The Ministry of Industry and Trade will update information related to the application of this protocol to the Vietnam Sugarcane Association.
As for the proposal “Free import sugar is imported under ATIGA and free trade systems but must be registered in bonded warehouses or registered reserves and only allowed to be consumed when domestic sugar is deficient according to coordination of regulatory agencies.
Sugar import is a conditional business only for sugar mills provided that the price of sugarcane for farmers is guaranteed, The quantity of imported sugar per sugar factory is equivalent to the amount of sugarcane bought by farmers. .
Imported sugar is only allowed to be consumed after sugarcane crushing has ended for at least 2 months to ensure all sugar produced from domestic sugarcane is consumed.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade also said that under the current law, including the Law on Foreign Trade Management and the Investment Law, the Ministry of Industry and Trade has no authority to promulgate and is not allowed to apply the measures as proposed. Association.
This is the same answer to the proposal “Liquid sugar from corn starch is free to import at the rate of 0% as committed in the signed trade agreements but will be stored in bonded warehouses. and will not be allowed to leave the bonded warehouse without the approval of the permit issued by the state management agency, “of VSSA.
However, in order to create favorable conditions for regulatory agencies to consider and apply trade remedies to liquid sugar, and ensure a fair competitive environment for domestic sugar production, VSSA should be concerned about providing, Supplementing information on foreign liquid sugar dumping on Vietnam market, Ministry of Industry and Trade suggested.
And with the proposal to calculate the co-generating electricity FIT price equal to the biomass FIT price at the price equivalent to Thailand and the Philippines, on December 11, the Minister of Industry and Trade signed Report No. 9507 / BCT-DL reporting to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister on FIT price for biomass electricity.
Whereby, The Ministry of Industry and Trade will soon update the information with the Vietnam Sugarcane Association when getting the opinion of the Prime Minister.
According to Economy and Consumption
