KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 (Bernama) -- Palm Oil Refiners' AssociationMalaysia (Poram) wants an assurance that the move to allow duty-freeexports of crude palm oil (CPO) initiated years ago would be atemporary/short-term measure initiated on selected/restricted basis andclosely monitored by the authorities concerned.

The association hoped that the government would continue to treat thematter on duty-free exports of CPO fairly and mindful of the needs andwell-being of the refining and downstream processing industry.

Poram also proposed that the government allows unrestricted imports of CPOinto the country aimed at establishing Malaysia as aprocessing/distribution centre for palm oil.

Poram said this in its memorandum submitted at the annual dialogue withthe Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) here Thursday.

The government had allowed controlled duty-free exports of CPO a couple ofyears ago in view of the high stock and low price prevailing at that time.

For this year, the government has again allocated more than a milliontonnes of CPO to selected companies for duty-free exports.

Poram also proposed that the five percent export duty on value-added palmstearin products be abolished.

The products are bleached palm stearin, refined palm stearin, neutralisedpalm stearin, neutralised bleached deodorised palm stearin,hydrogenated/hardened palm stearin, hydrogenated RBD palm stearin andhydrogenated RBD palm stearin flake.

Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers' Association (MARGMA) in a separatememorandum to the ministry, has proposed that the rubber cess forreplanting and reseach and development (R&D) at 13.77 sen/kg be abolished.

MARGMA said that the removal of some cost burdens frommanufacturers/producers was in the right direction in terms of incentive,promotion and facilitation.

It was advocated that the replanting could be facilitated through someother financing scheme and R&D expenditure should be the responsibility ofthe public sector.

MARGMA also proposed that the 25 percent import duty on Carboxylated NBR(nitrile Latex) be removed.

Such a move, among others, will help Malaysian products to be morecompetitive internationally, it said.

-- BERNAMA