DTI: Small retailers welcome to join in selling sugar at P70/kg

MANILA – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Thursday stated that small retailers are welcome to join the country’s leading supermarkets in lowering the price of sugar to PHP70 per kilo.

This comes after Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo revealed that a number of small supermarket owners have expressed an intention to reduce the price of white refined sugar.

“They are most welcome to join us kung kaya nila na makapagbenta rin ng PHP70 per kilo na white refined sugar (if they can also sell white refined sugar at PHP70 per kilo),” Castelo said during the Laging Handa program.

Earlier, the owners of Robinsons Supermarket, SM Supermarket, and Puregold Price Club heeded the call of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to offer cheaper sugar to their consumers, amid the sudden surge in the prices of the commodity in the market.

There was no agreement reached between the government and the major supermarket owners because they only heeded to Marcos’ call to lower sugar prices.

Castelo reminded small groceries that the only incentive they could get from the government is the promotion of their business, in exchange for their commitment to lower the prices of sugar.

“So, ‘yung maliliit na supermarkets kung okay sa kanila (for the small supermarkets, if it’s okay with them), they can signify their intention para maisali rin natin doon sa programa (so that we include in the program). And we can also help promote them,” she said.

SM stores promised to sell their inventory on washed sugar at PHP70 per kilo, while Robinsons Supermarket and Puregold vowed to unload a million kilo each at PHP70 per pack of one kilo.

To prevent sugar hoarding by enterprising consumers, consumers can only purchase one kilogram of sugar.

The Marcos administration intensifies its campaign against hoarders and profiteers to reduce the price of sugar.

Moreover, Malacañang directed law enforcement authorities to visit and inspect all Customs-bonded warehouses to check on the inventory of imported agricultural products.

The Office of the President on Monday confirmed that the supposed shortage in the country is “artificial” and simply caused by hoarding of unscrupulous traders.