KUCHING: The federal government’s decision to grant approved permits (APs) to import sugar for 11 food and beverage (F&B) manufacturers in the state is unfair to the rest of Sarawakians, said Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Stakan branch chairman Sim Kiang Chiok.
He said the APs for sugar should be abolished so that the public could enjoy sugar at lower prices.
Sim asked whether the 11 F&B manufacturers had reduced the prices of their finished products after being granted the APs.
“Who is purchasing sugar at a lower price? Why does the federal government only give these 11 F&B manufacturers the unfair advantage?
“Why are all these F&B manufacturers only from Kuching? Don’t the F&B manufacturers in other towns in the state qualify?” he asked in a statement yesterday.
Sim said the AP policy was an unfair practice to the rest of the people who had to buy sugar at a higher price.
“This shows that the federal government is not caring and does not want to help reduce the cost of living.
“The shared prosperity vision as preached by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government is not practised, when the higher cost of sugar is passed on to all the people except to the 11 AP holders in the state,” he said.
