Sugarwatch, composed of various labor and agrarian reform beneficiaries’ groups, yesterday welcomed the ruling of the Valuation  and Classification Review Committee  of the Bureau of Customs  that Coca Cola Bottler’s Philippines Inc.  misclassified its imports as  premixes, when what the company actually imported  was refined sugar.

  “We  thank the  Bureau of Customs for its decision  and are appealing that they file the  necessary criminal case against those involved in such technical smuggling activity,” Hernani Braza, one of the Sugarwatch convenors and secretary general of the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines,  said.

He also thanked Governor Alfredo Marañon, the congressmen of Negros Occidental, the Sugar Regulatory Administration  and the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations for their support of labor’s   fight against Coke’s importation of sugar in the guise of premixes to avoid paying a 38 percent tariff.

Braza said with the VCRC ruling, CCBPI  that brought  in about 1 to 2 million bags of premix sugar must pay P1 to 2 billion for the 38 percent tariff required of imported sugar plus an 800 percent penalty, for a total of about P7 to 8 billion.

The amount should be used to restitute farmers, workers,   agrarian reform beneficiaries and planters for their losses arising from the Coke importation of premixes that drove down the  domestic sugar prices  from P2,400 to P1,300 per Lkg, Braza said.

We are calling on our congressmen to pass law for the restitution of the stakeholders in the sugar industry, he added.

Wennie Sancho,  Sugarwatch and Negros-Panay Alliance of Labor convenor, said their groups will continue  to boycott products of  Coca-Cola and other firms that  use high fructose corn syrup to the detriment of the Philippine sugar industry and the health of the public.

He also called for continued vigilance against technical and actual  smuggling of sugar.

Randy Roquillo - Trade Union of Filipino Workers,  Guillermo Barreta – Negros Labor Center and Ma. Elena Chavez – Dagyaw ARBs of Murcia, also welcomed the Bureau of Customs ruling  in support of the cause they had fought for.

They also vowed to remain vigilant against firms that engage in technical smuggling of sugar to protect the Philippine  sugar industry that is the lifeblood of Negros Occidental.

Coca-Cola Bottler's Philippines Inc. is filing an appeal with the Central Valuation Review Committee of the Bureau of Customs on the ruling that it misclassified its imports as “premixes, Cat Avelino, CCBPI corporate communications director, said Tuesday.

"We are disappointed with the VCRC's ruling on premix importations. We believe any pre-mix importation is in full compliance with the provisions of the Tariff Code as well as all the international trade agreements entered into by the Philippine government," she said.

Under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, all companies, including Coca-Cola, are able to competitively source raw materials, she said, "which ultimately benefits the consumers as product prices remain reasonable and competitive. We will be forwarding our appeal to the Central Valuation Review Committee."*CPG

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