KYIV: Ukraine’s economy ministry has proposed waiving the 50% import duty on 120,000 tonnes of white sugar in a draft law presented to parliament on Thursday.

It was unclear when parliament will consider the matter, but the document proposed that the measure should be in place until Oct. 1 this year.

Ukraine produced 5 million tonnes of white sugar a year in Soviet times but has since cut annual output to about 1 million tonnes because of a decrease in consumption and competition from cheaper cane sugar.