Like clockwork, the sugar mafia has once again tightened its grip on the market ahead of Ramazan, manipulating supply and inflating prices to maximise profits. While the federal government and sugar millers claim to be offering sugar at Rs130 per kg, retailers in Karachi are already charging Rs160 per kg, with wholesale rates climbing steadily. The price of a 50 kg sugar bag has surged by Rs150-200 in just a few days, exposing the unchecked role of speculators and hoarders.
Sugar industry is dominated by tycoons and feudal elites who own sugar mills and enjoy deep connections with politicians and bureaucrats. These powerful figures, often with direct ties to the government, manipulate production and distribution while regulators turn a blind eye. This collusion ensures that while consumers suffer, the profits of the sugar cartel remain intact. This is nothing more than corruption and deliberate profiteering. Demand predictably doubles during Ramazan, from 550,000 tonnes to 1.1 million tonnes, and yet the authorities remain slow to act. The federal and provincial governments must launch an aggressive crackdown to dismantle these profiteering networks. Warehouses hoarding sugar must be raided, and those behind this price manipulation must face strict penalties. Mere price caps and hollow assurances will not suffice. Until the government demonstrates the political will to break the sugar cartel's monopoly, ordinary citizens will continue to suffer at the hands of a few powerful profiteers.
The sugar mafia has operated with impunity for far too long, exploiting the religious and cultural significance of Ramazan for profit. If the government is serious about consumer protection, it must dismantle this exploitative network once and for all. Otherwise, the cycle will repeat next year, and once again, ordinary citizens will pay the price while profiteers walk free.
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