Hey USC, no sugar for me?

The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) of Pakistan has increased the price of white refined sugar by Rs 6 per kg to Rs 48 per kg, whereas the local price of commodity market is around Rs 55, offsetting the advantage of subsidised commodity to poor consumers, Pakistan Today learnt on Saturday.
The white refined sugar was the only commodity on which government was offering any kind of rebate to help mitigate the financial woes of underprivileged segment of the population, but the withdrawal of the facility is likely to overburden the monthly expenditure of consumers.
Currently, white refined sugar is available for Rs 48 per kg at USC outlets, which is Rs 6 per kg higher compared to previous rate of Rs 42 per kg.
A declining trend was registered in prices of sugar during the last six months in the open market and it was available in the wholesale markets at around Rs 53 per kg and up to Rs 55 per kg at the retail level.
Sugar is one of the fastest selling items at all USC outlets mainly owing to its lower price compared to the open market in the wake of the subsidy offered by the government.
At a USC outlet situated at Jail Road in Bahadurabad, the storekeeper confirmed that sugar price has been increased.
The buyers, who stand in queues outside USC stores, have reacted strongly to the recent increase in the price of the commodity, terming it an unjustified decision and against the interest of the buyers, majority of them belonging to lower segment of the population.
“I always prefer purchasing most of the commodities including ghee, cooking oil and sugar from the USC store to save some money, but the new price hike will be a blow to my meagre financial resources,” a buyer told Pakistan Today.
“The USC was established with the sole objective of providing financial relief to the poor masses, but over the period of time, it has transformed into a profit-making organisation that is least interested in the welfare of downtrodden segment of the population,” he added.
USC Karachi Zonal Manager Bashir Baber termed the fresh increase as a decision carried only on the orders of the high officials of the department based in Islamabad. “We are anticipating repercussions,” he added
He said according to the ECC formula, the USC fixed the price of sugar Rs 5 per kg less than the one in the open market.
According to officials, a bumper season is expected in terms of sugar production. “According to estimates, 4.8 million tonnes of sugar production is expected, over 0.6 million than the previous estimates,” they said.