Indonesia's 15 refined sugar mills are expected to run at their full capacity to make the tropical country self-sufficient in white sugar, state-owned news agency Antara here Monday quoted an official from a local enterprises' association as saying on Sunday in Cilacap, Central Java.

"Nationally, the current refined sugar output of the sugar mills in Indonesia is not enough to meet the national consumption of 3.5 million tons per year, as only 1.8 million tons are produced per year," said Darsono from Nugroho S. Darsono, Director General of Harmapala Usaha Sukses.

If all the mills are constructed and run at their full production capacity, Indonesia can stop importing white sugar, he added.

He made the marks to Secretary of Commission D (for development affairs) of the Central Java legislative assembly Ir H. Taufik Mochtar and member of Commission E (for social affairs) KH Muhammad Busro, and a number of journalists.

The two legislators in their constituencies on Saturday and Sunday went down to the field to get the aspirations of their constituencies. Along with a number of reporters, they had the chance to visit a refined sugar factory and a hydro-power plant in Cilacap.

The refined sugar factory now under construction in Cilacap is the fourth in Indonesia.

"We built the factory in Cilacap because the existing ones are unable to fully meet the refined sugar need of local industries. Later, some day, if the 15 refined sugar factories are already in service at full swing, all the needs would have been fully met," said Darsono.

Overall the country, three sugar mills have already been built and one still under construction in Cilegon, one is being built in Cilacap, while 10 others already licensed elsewhere.

Source: Xinhua