By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Former Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael Alunan III yesterday called for an explanation on the government’s plans to deregulate sugar importation.

“The government has to explain,” he stated during a press conference. “It’s so unfair.”

Alunan said there needs to be an evaluation of demand for the commodity, along with the supply, noting, “As we know, the supply of sugar is dwindling.”

“We also lack, now, agricultural workers,” he added. “Productivity is going down and we are  going to face a crisis in a very short while if we don’t mechanize.”

The former cabinet official, who is running for senate in the upcoming midterm elections, acknowledged that when supply is low, prices go up, and importation would help increase supply; however, he noted, “Importation must be balanced with efforts to maximize production.”

“While I keep an open mind and understand the need for government to bring down the prices and to provide more supply to the consumers, the other side of it is what are they doing to improve productivity to make sure and help the farmers operate their farms profitably?” Alunan asked.

“If there is better productivity, the pressure to import may go down,” he added./DGB, WDJ