Finance Ministry rejects sugar import duty hike proposal

20 Jun 2013 Evaluate

Turning down Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's proposal to hike sugar import duty immediately so as to address mounting cane arrears, the Finance Ministry P Chidambaram has said that such a move would lead to inflation. Finance Minister, after holding discussions with Sharad Pawar and Food Minister K V Thomas, has decided to keep the proposal on hold till August.

Arrears of sugar mills have risen to over Rs 10,000 crore and there was a need to raise import duty to rein in shipments, which is putting downward pressure on local prices. Further, lower prices will affect the margins of sugar mills, which may postpone payment of sugarcane arrears. Currently, import duty on sugar stands at 10%. Even the industry body - Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has been demanding hike in import duty of sugar.

However, as per the finance ministry, such a move could have an adverse impact on sugar prices in the open market during June-August period, when prices normally remain slightly firm. Besides, following the decontrol of the sector, the government at present has no mechanism to control local sugar prices. Apart from this, the expected increase in retail prices would also have an impact on the subsidy, which the government has offered to give to state governments for acquiring sugar from the open market for Public Distribution System (PDS) distribution.

Recently, the government partially decontrolled the sugar sector and pursuant to which mills are no longer required to supply sweetener to the Centre for the PDS. For the 2012-13 marketing year (October-September), sugar production in India is likely to be 24.5 million tonnes, higher than the domestic demand of 22 million tonnes.

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