India might allow exporting 20,000 tonnes of refined sugar to Kenya, one of its important partners in Africa, despite a ban on sugar exports, as reported Live Mint.
This could be permitted under the advanced authorization scheme (AAS), according to a government official. Under this scheme, refineries can bring in raw sugar, process it, and then export refined sugar.
As per news report, the official stated, “While India will have enough sugar for its own use, there might not be a surplus for exports due to expected lower production this year compared to the previous year.”
“Therefore, it has been suggested that the refineries that import raw sugar and export refined sugar after value addition under AAS, to export the quantity to Kenya,” the official was quoted as saying in Live Mint news report.
The official mentioned earlier noted that the Ministry of External Affairs has proposed exporting 20,000 tonnes of sugar by sea, which is a more cost-effective option, as against Kenya’s request for 500,000 tonnes of the sweetener.
