WEBDESK: Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, assured the public that claims of sugar shortage and prices skyrocketing to Rs180 per kg are false on Monday, state-owned Radio Pakistan reported.
According to officials, the current market price of sugar should be Rs164 per kg, while it is available at Utility Stores for Rs153 per kg. However, due to excessive exports of 700,000 tonnes in the past year, prices have surged in some areas. To address this, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a 10-member committee led by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to work with sugar mill owners and bring prices down.
The government has also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to monitor and prevent hoarding and illegal price hikes. Past attempts to regulate the sugar market have faced difficulties, but this time, authorities have warned of strict action against those manipulating prices.
To prevent any sugar shortage, the Sugar Advisory Board has projected that production for the upcoming season will reach 6.8 million tonnes, slightly more than the 6.6 million tonnes needed for local consumption. This means there should be enough supply to avoid major price fluctuations.
To assist consumers, the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has set up stalls at the tehsil level, selling sugar at Rs130 per kg during Ramazan. Rana Tanveer in his address on Monday stress that the federal government “will take strict action with the cooperation of provinces if anybody tried to increase the sugar prices.”
Despite these reassurances, many consumers remain concerned about rising costs. Authorities will need to act swiftly to ensure that sugar remains available at fair prices, preventing further worries about a sugar shortage in the country.
