Punjab requests Centre for direct sugar import

Move may help province control stockpiling and possible sugar crisis during Ramazan

LAHORE:

In a bid to control the inflating sugar prices and to timely curb its shortage, the Punjab government requested the federal government on Monday to grant permission to utility stores, beverage companies, beverage manufacturing factories, and sweet industries for direct import of sugar.

As per the details, the provincial government, in order to control the increasing prices, stockpiling, and the likely sugar crisis during Ramazan, Punjab government had written a letter to the federal government.

In the letter, the federal government had been requested to grant permission to the Utility Store Corporation of Pakistan, beverage companies, beverages manufacturing industries, sweet industry and all such industries to import sugar from foreign countries that were rich in sugar stock.

The provincial government requested that, like the federal government imports sugar from the foreign countries without duty, similarly, industries consuming sugar should be allowed to import at the same rates, without the implication of any duty.

This way, supply and demand deficit could be ended while the increasing sugar prices could also be controlled.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 2^nd, 2021.