Islamabad: Important questions were raised on the export and import of sugar in the meeting of the National Assembly subcommittee, which was chaired by Mirza Ikhtiar Baig.
In the meeting, officials of the Ministry of Industries and Production said that the decision to export sugar was taken by the federal cabinet, and this recommendation came out on the basis of data from the Sugar Advisory Board. The officials added that this decision was also confirmed by the FBR’s Track and Trace system.
The FBR explained that there is a complete record of the production of 79 sugar mills in the country and this system is not prone to any malfunction. According to him, 750,000 tonnes of sugar were exported in the last fiscal year while 250,000 metric tonnes of sugar were being imported, which costs about Rs 197 per kg, which includes 18% sales tax and shipping costs.
The Ministry of Food Security told the committee that for seven of the last ten years, sugar prices in Pakistan were higher than the global market. Only between 2021 and 2024, domestic prices were lower than the global market.
In the meeting, Competition Commission officials revealed that price manipulation by the Sugar Mills Association was revealed in inquiries in 2009 and 2019-21. According to officials, fines of Rs 44 billion were imposed on sugar mills and the association in 2021, however, these orders have been challenged in the courts.
