MARKET DEVELOPMENT
12 Show-cause Letters Issued to Millers, Dealers of FFB — Uggah
12 Show-cause Letters Issued to Millers, Dealers of FFB — Uggah
26/08/2014 (Borneo Post) - The Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) has issued 12 show-cause letters to palm oil millers and dealers of fresh fruit bunches (FFB) in the state, disclosed Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas.
Uggah (second right) in a discussion with Chai (second left), Choo (right) and others after chairing a meeting with enforcement agencies to monitor FFB theft in Sarawak at a leading hotel here yesterday.
According to him, the letters were issued based on the findings by the MPOB enforcement unit that purchase of FFB was more than what had been allocated in their licence.
“They (miller and dealers) have been buying more FFB than what is in the licence so that balance can be considered as the fruits sold from an unlicensed area.
“This is a breach of the MPOB licence and therefore MPOB has issued the show-cause letters to these people,” he said at a press conference after chairing the second meeting with enforcement agencies here yesterday to monitor FFB theft in Sarawak.
Uggah noted that those issued with the show-cause letters had two weeks to respond and provide an explanation, failing which their case would be reported and thus investigated for prosecution.
“In each mill, we want them to record all the sellers because the one with the record shows that they have the licence from MPOB.
“If you have 10 acres and are selling ten to 12 tonnes a month, then it’s alright. But if you are selling 200 tonnes a month, then what kind of oil palm are you selling with such a high productivity,” he asked.
When palm oil millers and dealers in the state record the source of the FFB they purchase, this would enable MPOB to enforce the regulation which would also assist in tackling the issue of rampant FFB thefts from plantations in the state, he explained.
He said between 2013 and July this year, 304 cases of FFB thefts in the state had been reported to the police.
“FFB theft cases are an ongoing issue nationwide with each area consisting of a different degree of intensity and frequency. In order to overcome or reduce the stealing of FFB, we have commenced with a special operation that began on July 1 this year as well as another programme in Bintulu to try and work out the mechanism on how to overcome this issue of FFB theft.
“We will also continue to give advice or even a warning to all the millers and dealers to not purchase FFB from unlicensed sellers because the unlicensed fruits can be stolen,” stressed Uggah.
“If you buy it, it is a breach of your licence and MPOB will have to take action and this also includes the termination of your licence,” he added.
Also present at the press conference were state Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung and MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May.
Uggah (second right) in a discussion with Chai (second left), Choo (right) and others after chairing a meeting with enforcement agencies to monitor FFB theft in Sarawak at a leading hotel here yesterday.
According to him, the letters were issued based on the findings by the MPOB enforcement unit that purchase of FFB was more than what had been allocated in their licence.
“They (miller and dealers) have been buying more FFB than what is in the licence so that balance can be considered as the fruits sold from an unlicensed area.
“This is a breach of the MPOB licence and therefore MPOB has issued the show-cause letters to these people,” he said at a press conference after chairing the second meeting with enforcement agencies here yesterday to monitor FFB theft in Sarawak.
Uggah noted that those issued with the show-cause letters had two weeks to respond and provide an explanation, failing which their case would be reported and thus investigated for prosecution.
“In each mill, we want them to record all the sellers because the one with the record shows that they have the licence from MPOB.
“If you have 10 acres and are selling ten to 12 tonnes a month, then it’s alright. But if you are selling 200 tonnes a month, then what kind of oil palm are you selling with such a high productivity,” he asked.
When palm oil millers and dealers in the state record the source of the FFB they purchase, this would enable MPOB to enforce the regulation which would also assist in tackling the issue of rampant FFB thefts from plantations in the state, he explained.
He said between 2013 and July this year, 304 cases of FFB thefts in the state had been reported to the police.
“FFB theft cases are an ongoing issue nationwide with each area consisting of a different degree of intensity and frequency. In order to overcome or reduce the stealing of FFB, we have commenced with a special operation that began on July 1 this year as well as another programme in Bintulu to try and work out the mechanism on how to overcome this issue of FFB theft.
“We will also continue to give advice or even a warning to all the millers and dealers to not purchase FFB from unlicensed sellers because the unlicensed fruits can be stolen,” stressed Uggah.
“If you buy it, it is a breach of your licence and MPOB will have to take action and this also includes the termination of your licence,” he added.
Also present at the press conference were state Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Dr Chai Khin Chung and MPOB director-general Datuk Dr Choo Yuen May.