SM Supermalls, Robinsons Supermarket, and Puregold to sell their inventory at a lower price; limit is 1 kilo per buyer
(Eagle News) – Malacanang said on Friday, August 19, that three big supermarket chains have already promised to sell their refined sugar supplies at a lower price of P70 per kilo.
Supermarkets of SM, Robinson’s and Puregold have all agreed to the request of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., to sell at least 1 million kilos of their sugar supplies at P70 per kilo from the prevailing price of P90 to P110 per kilo.
Press Secretary Trixie Cruz Angeles said that the request of President Marcos Jr was relayed to the supermarket owners by Executive Secretary Victor Rodriguez.
“Tungkol sa pakikipag-usap ni Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez at alisunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr., binabaan ng ilang mga retailers ang supermarket prices ng asukal,” Angeles said on Friday afternoon, August 19.
-1 million kilos of refined sugar to be sold at lower price by supermarkets-
She said both Robinson’s Supermarket and Puregold promised to sell 1 million kilos of refined sugar from their inventory at P70 per kilo.
SM Supermarket did not give any volume, but said that all their inventory of refined sugar would be sold at P70 per kilo.
The supermarkets imposed a limit of 1 kilo per buyer, the Palace said, so more people would be able to avail of this lower-priced sugar.
Angeles said President Marcos Jr., expressed his gratitude to the supermarket chains for acceding to his request to make a sacrifice at this time for the consumers.
“Actually napakiusapan lang po sila ni Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez bilang tulong na lang sa ordinaryong consumers na pababaan kahit pansamantala ang kanilang mga presyo hanggang ma-resolba o maitawid natin nitong Setyembre o hanggang sa harvest season,” Angeles said.
By that time, the government expects that sugar prices would be much lower.
-No schedule yet for importation of 150K MT of sugar-
Angeles also said that the importation of 150,000 metric tons of sugar would push through, but there was no schedule yet.
The proposal for half of this volume to be imported directly by food manufacturers or industrial users is “seriously being considered.”
She said some details are still “being worked out.”
“It is proposed and it is seriously being considered,” Angeles said.
The government will also continue to conduct surprise inspections of warehouses as it investigates the alleged hoarding of sugar supplies to create an “artificial shortage.”
(Eagle News Service)