The Senate is appealing to the government not to liberalize the country’s sugar industry.Members of the Upper Chamber were unanimous in approving on Monday afternoon the Senate Resolution No. 213, which urges the Executive Department not to pursue proposals from economic managers to deregulate sugar imports.
The resolution aimed to protect the welfare of sugar farmers and industry workers in the more than 20 provinces in the country that might be affected by the plan. Senators also noted that the Sugar Industry Development Act was passed in 2015 to help the sugarcane industry be competitive through improvement programs, equipment and infrastructure support, and financial assistance to farmers, among others.