The prices of sugar has come down to a record level this year but the producers of sweets, beverages, biscuits and other sugary products are not decreasing the prices of these items. The prices of these products were increased some two months ago owing to an increase in sugar prices but now the producers are not ready to give relief to the consumers. They were of the view that sugar was the basic raw material for producing these things therefore a price increase was inevitable. The sugar prices touched Rs 90 per kg level in September and all the bakers and confectioners of the city increased the prices. However, now the sugar price has come down to Rs 55 per kg in the open market but that has left the produces unaffected.
Interestingly, Punjab government, which is famous for fixing the prices of products, is silent on the issue.
One of largest bakery of the city increased the prices of sweets, rusk, bread and biscuits some one and half month ago by around 10 to 15 percent owing to expensive sugar. Similarly, the price of a half pack biscuit was increased from Rs 12 to Rs 15. The price of sweets was increased by Rs 20 to Rs 40 per kg while the price of cake was increased by Rs 30 per pound in October and November. Sugar prices since then have gone down by 50 percent.
Consumers expressed a general dissatisfaction over the increased prices and said the government should take notice of this issue.
“There has been more than 50 percent decrease in sugar prices but the bakery and confectionary items are still expensive,” said a housewife Seema Azhar. She said when the price of sugar was Rs 60 then juice price was Rs 15 and when sugar was being sold for Rs 90 then the price of juice jumped to Rs 25. “Why isn’t the price of juice going down with sugar price, if it went up with it?” she lamented. Another consumer Amjad Ali said the government should check the profits and should stop the manufacturers from plundering the public’s wealth. “Punjab government checks the prices of vegetables and fruits but what about the prices of bakery and confectionery items?” he questioned.
The bakery and confectionery producers said sugar prices were very instable in the country therefore they would not reduce the prices. They said besides sugar other inputs were also expensive. “Labour, electricity and other products are still expensive therefore it is not possible for us to lower the prices,” the production manager of a bakery-chain said adding there has been an increase in the prices of electricity also. He said there was no certainty and the prices could go up the very next day also. “If we reduce prices and then increase them once again then it would have negative impact on our customers,” he argued.
