Cabinet prepares bitter pill for sugar mafia

The federal cabinet decided on Tuesday to immediately import sugar due to the sudden increase in the monthly consumption and gave its consent for imposing a daily fine of Rs5 million on the sugar mills found involved in delaying sugarcane crushing season.

In an attempt to prevent “sugar mafia” from delaying the sugarcane crushing season, the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan was informed that the crushing season would begin in the next 20 days and delay in crushing season would result in a fine of Rs5 million per day. In this regard, the cabinet was told, the Punjab government had already amended the relevant law.

The cabinet was informed about a sudden increase in the average monthly consumption of sugar. Keeping in view of the requirement of the commodity, the meeting decided to immediately import sugar. It was informed that 200,000 tonnes of sugar would reach the country in the next few days.

Meanwhile, after a detailed briefing regarding the existing sugar reserves in the country, import situation and its price, the cabinet was informed that the process of physical verification has started after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA)’s Director General Wajid Zia’s report of sugar probe.

Earlier this year, the prime minister had constituted two high-powered committees under DG FIA to probe into circumstances leading to the wheat and flour controversy and the reasons behind increase in sugar prices in the country.

On wheat, the cabinet was briefed on the stocks available in the country and the import situation. Discussing the status of official wheat releases by various provinces, the cabinet heard that Punjab was releasing 17,000 to 20,000 tonnes per day which was being increased to 25,000 tonnes.

Similarly, it noted, the Sindh government would release 85,000 tonnes of wheat between October 21 and 31. The meeting was informed that Punjab had assured that the supply of wheat would be ensured as per the demand from the utility stores while Sindh had assured that the supply of wheat to the flour mills would be ensured as per their requirements.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed the relevant officials to present detailed reports on wheat and sugar in the next cabinet meeting.

At the outset, the cabinet expressed concern over the rising trend of coronavirus cases in the country, noting that Pakistan had fought the pandemic with the best strategy which had been recognised internationally. However, it noted, the nation needed to be extremely careful in view of the second wave of the pandemic.

The cabinet was informed that the number of Covid cases reported this month has increased as compared to July-August; corona positivity had reached 2%, while the death toll, which was in single digits in July and August, has now doubled. The cabinet called for ensuring implementation of safety measures, especially the use of masks and other standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Before the cabinet moved to the other agenda item, Information Technology Minister Aminul Haq, who belongs to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), presented a check of Rs1,033,933 as donation to the Prime Minister’s Corona Relief Fund from his party’s office-bearers.

Among other decisions, the cabinet approved interim management committee of the Gun and Country Club, Islamabad, ratified the decisions taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Institutional Reforms on October 7, 2020, and approved to keep Sindh Infrastructure Development Company (Limited) under the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives.

It also ratified the decisions taken at the October 14, 2020 meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee. Moreover, the cabinet also approved the issuance of 98 new overseas employment promoter licences, revocation of 18, transfer of 10 and change in the scope of five licences.

Likewise, the cabinet ratified the decisions taken at the October 15, 2020 meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee and the decisions taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation on October 19, 2020. The decision of the Cabinet Committee on Energy taken on October 15, 2020 to meet the demand for furnace oil was also ratified.