New sugar supply regulations have triggered a severe crisis in Rawalpindi, as wholesale dealers have rejected the rules and suspended supply from sugar mills across Punjab.
According to sources, if the issue is not resolved within 24 hours, the shortage is expected to worsen across cities in Punjab, potentially pushing sugar prices beyond Rs200 per kilogramme.
From July 1, with the start of the new fiscal year, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) made it mandatory for all sugar dealers to deposit the full payment for sugar directly from their personal bank accounts into the accounts of sugar mills. The Sugar Dealers Association has rejected this requirement.
After a meeting, the Sugar Dealers Association announced that they will not deposit supply payments directly from their accounts into sugar mill accounts. Instead, they will stick to the old method of making payments through brokers. As a result, sugar dealers have boycotted depositing money into the sugar mills' accounts and have also stopped purchasing sugar from the mills.
Sources said that this situation has led to a complete suspension of sugar supply across Punjab by sugar dealers, sparking a crisis in wholesale markets.
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