INVESTMENT in the sugar sector has reached 3trn/-in the past few years, a clear indication that policies in the sector are predictable and friendly, the government has declared.

Prof Kitila Mkumbo, the Planning and Investment state minister in the President’s Office issued this affirmation at a press conference yesterday after a meeting with sugar producers, where a notable area of consensus was the need for reviewing the Sugar Act, 2001.

The meeting was also consensual that sugar imports should cease 30 June every year, at the time that local producers start offloading sugar into the market. The meeting agreed on the timely importation of sugar when industries have stopped producing, he stated.

 The producers appealed for more engagement meetings to address challenges facing the sector, the minister said, while Hussein Sufiani, chairman of the Tanzania Sugar Producers Association, said producers want a review of the Sugar Act to tackle challenges that have emerged over the years.

The meeting appears to have put to an end the controversy surrounding sugar imports and its auxiliary issue of pricing, with the public likely to be asking about the call for renewed collaboration that the meeting endorsed yesterday.

The minister said the government values investors in the sector as it propels economic growth, noting that achievements that have been made in the sector are noticeable, so the government seeks greater investments.

The sugar saga sparked a storm of controversy during Budget debate last month, after Kisesa MP Luhaga Mpina launched a blistering attack against Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe, accusing him of repeatedly misleading the House on critical issues concerning sugar imports.

On June 4, Speaker Dr Tulia Ackson ordered the MP to submit evidence to the House on allegations of falsehood on the part of the minister, as to violating the sugar importation law.

Evidence demanded was to have reached the Speaker by June 14, but the MP, after submitting evidence to the Speaker’s office, proceeded to hold a press conference and disclose the details of the evidence to the media.

The MP was subsequently suspended from attending 15 sessions for contempt of the House, as the relevant committee dismissed the evidence presented against the minister.