After my failed request to PSMA, federal government of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar and judiciary of Pakistan, I would now like to request the PTI government and Pakistan Army to please look into this matter and stop this monopoly of sugar industry in Pakistan.
By an estimate, the sugar industry of Pakistan has been under-declaring 5 per cent of their sugar production for many decades. It is estimated that this 5 per cent equates to 91 billion rupees per annum that the sugar industry is under-declaring.
This way the industry cheats the farmers, the public and the government of Pakistan. They have already reduced the rate of sugarcane, keeping the farmers in perpetual poverty. Similarly they have already raised the rate of sugar in Pakistan to Rs54, compared to the international market rate of Rs34, charging all Pakistanis extra for sugar. They have also not paid taxes and other charges on the under-declared quantity of sugar, cheating the government out of billions of rupees of revenue.
And to add insult to injury, the industry has stopped the import of cheap international market sugar. They have increased the export of local sugar at lower rate. They have also received incentive for exports and will receive more incentives in March.
The sugar industry has also reduced the rates of sugarcane even further, that too during the cutting season, putting the farmers in a very difficult position while also not paying the farmer on time for the sugarcane.
In a latest development the industry has received free power generation licenses without any equipment checking or other physical verification, which will result in high payments to sugar industry for power generation while they will only generate power to run their own industry.
The industry is so strong that not even media, judiciary or federal government is willing to discuss these issues. I therefore request Pakistan Army, PTI and JI to help save Pakistan from the sugar mafia and recover all overdue payments from them.
ENGR. SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER
Peshawar
