The sugar price has touched Rs 125 per kg across the country because of the federal government and Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) has failed to implements its decision of importing sugar in time. The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) failed to offload its stocks in the market at its import cost of Rs 55 per kg, thus helping the sugar mafia to make the killing.
It seems there is no government writ and courts are hapless in the case of sugar mafia. The TCP imported sugar to offset the gap between the demand and supply in the market. It also made profit on imported sugar by offering the contract to the highest bidder and offering the tenders of 10,000 tons to be sold every week. The sugar mills were supposed to start their crushing season from November 1 but they did not. The All Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (APSMA) has declared that stocks are exhausted. Why the sugar mills did not started crushing on the said date?
The Minister of Industry and Production, its Secretary, Chairman of TCP and APSMA are all responsible for the present sugar crises. They have committed a crime against consumers by creating the sugar shortage when the imported sugar was available in the TCP stocks.
The ruling parties, PPP and PML(N), which claim to be in power with the peoples vote, have no consideration for the plight of the people. It is ironic that the same people are responsible for lowering the prices who own the sugar mills. How and why would they hurt their own interests, it escapes me.
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore
