Choking on a Bitter Pill
Imported sugar is flooding the local markets and farmers are up in arms. The local sugar industry may not be economic, but the government should act against errant importers and stamp out smuggling.
June 25, 2002
AWIDELY-accepted wisdom says there is little point in flogging a dead horse. This is one of the unwritten rules that underpins any business. For the last five years, the sugar business in this country has been categorized as something of a dead horse. The problem is that PT Perkebunan Negara (PTPN), the state company that manages sugar refineries, refuses to adhere to that principle. Now, both the farmers and PTPN may have to swallow a very
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