APTRI rejects plan to close 10 sugar factories

`The closure of the sugar factories will kill sugarcane farmers and result in a decrease in national sugar production,` said APTRI Board of Trustees chairman Arum Sabil in Jember on Tuesday. He admitted to not having received an official letter regarding the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises' (BUMN) plan to close 10 sugar factories, and so his party needs to clarify the information being circulated. `I have received a text message about the plan to close 10 sugar factories, but we will clarify it first with the BUMN Ministry and the board of directors before taking further action, because the closure of sugar factories has very large social implications,` he said. So far, he continued, the sugar factories, some of which have been in operation for decades or even centuries, have played an important part in the economies of several regions, and so the planned closure is like a bolt from the blue for the sugar factories, employees and sugarcane farmers. `The sugar factory has fairly large social implications because it is not just profit that the factory is expected to make, and so the government's reason for closing the sugar factory on grounds of efficiency does not make sense,` he said. He admitted to having received input from hundreds of managers of the APTRI Branch Boards (DPC) from several areas where sugar factories were to be closed in 2017, and this has sparked anger among many parties, including sugarcane farmers. `I also regret that new sugar factories, whose land is still unclear and whose yields are not any higher than the 10 sugar factories to be closed, are being encouraged by the government. The government has even issued permits for the import of raw sugar on a large scale,` said Arum, who is also the Coordinator of Pusat Tampung Aspirasi Masyarakat Indonesia (Pustari). He emphasized that APTRI would respond seriously by holding a series of demonstrations with farmers and employees of sugar factories that the government closes, if the policy to close 10 sugar factories is really carried out by the BUMN Ministry. Previously, in a meeting held in Surabaya and attended by Directors of PTPN III, PTPN IX, PTPN X, PTPN XI, Directors of PT RNI together with the Deputy of the BUMN Minister for Industrial Agro and Pharmaceutical Businesses, it was agreed that 10 sugar factories in Java would be closed on Thursday (6/10). The 10 sugar factories to be closed are PG Kanigoro, PG Rejosari and PG Purwodadi in Madiun, PG Toelangan and PG Watoetoelis in Sidoarjo district, PG Meritjan in Kediri, PG Wringinanom, PG Pandjie and PG Olean in Situbondo district, and PG Gondang Baru in Klaten (Central Java).
Editor: Tasrief Tarmizi
http://www.antaranews.com/berita/589716/aptri-tolak-rencana-penutupan-10-pabrik-gula