• Expresses alarm due to poor management, non -regularities, generalized irregularities
• The secretary’s claims production decreased despite the increase in the cultivation area; There is no damping stock
• The minister warns Mills, says that hoarding will not be tolerated; offensive
Islamabad: As a national repression is being carried out against sugar hoarders, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has raised serious concerns about poor management in the sugar sector, non -compliance with loans for mills and large -scale irregularities that involve public institutions.
During his session on Wednesday, the National Secretary of Food Security, Amir Mohyuddin, revealed that although the area under the cultivation of sugarcane increased this year, the general production had decreased compared to the previous year.
Of 82 registered sugar factories, only 79 participated in the crushing season, which usually begins in November. The secretary admitted that Pakistan currently has no sugar stocks, and a summary has been sent to import 500,000 tons, of which 300,000 tons are already planned.
The members of the committee, particularly Riaz Fathana and Junaid Akbar, criticized what they described as a “mass sugar poster” that manipulates the offer and prices.
Fatyana asked why they allowed to export 7.5 million metric tons of sugar, claiming that it was made to artificially inflate local prices.
He also questioned the Federal Income Board (FBR) for issuing a legal regulatory order (SRO) that reduced the Sales Tax on Sugar Import. “This export was designed for its benefit,” he said.
The president of PAC, Junaid Akbar Khan, condemned the influence of the sugar barons, stating: “These factor owners are part of each government. Why is the International Monetary Fund (IMF) silent for their benefit?”
He questioned why tax exemptions were granted to sugar importers, while the general public was denied relief. FBR officials replied that tax exemption was a cabinet decision and the Board acted on the official instructions.
MNA Naveed Qamar argued that the government should refrain from intervening in the sugar market. “Every time the government intervenes, things get worse. The bureaucracy cannot execute markets,” he said, adding that two main posters, sugar and fertilizers, continue to operate without supervision.
MNA Shazia Marri demanded a report that detailed how much subsidy was granted to Sugar Mills in the last five years and identified the main beneficiaries. The Committee also expressed its dissatisfaction with the composition and transparency of the Sugar Advisory Board and ordered the Ministry of Industries to attend the next meeting and clarify the decisions related to the export and import of sugar, since the Ministry of Food Security said it did not have access to that data.
But despite the best efforts of the government, the sugar crisis persists. In this context, the Minister of National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, warned all sugar factories that do not release their existing actions and monopolize, will not be tolerated under any circumstance.
In a meeting with representatives of the Association of Moletas Sugar de Pakistan (PSMA) and other key stakeholders, he directed the provincial governments to guarantee the timely sugar lifting of the mills and facilitate their soft transport to the markets.
He said that a national repression is currently being carried out against those who interrupt the sugar supply chain. Expressing a serious concern about the artificial increase in sugar prices, the minister warned about strict action against hoarders.
Meanwhile, a press release from the Ministry of National Food Security said that sugar prices have begun to decrease significantly, from RS200 per kilogram to RS175 per kilogram, as a result of government repression.
Amin Ahmed also contributed to this report
Posted in Dawn, July 24, 2025
