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| Imran Khan says elements involved in undue profiteering are foes of the people | Chanar Sugar Mills owner Javed Kayani, Shakar Ganj Sugar Mills’ Pervez Ahmed arrested in police raids | PSMA terms police action uncalled for | Mills will not be able to start crushing under ‘present situation’
ISLAMABAD/LAHORE – Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday chaired a review meeting on sale price and hoarding of sugar wherein he directed the authorities concerned to make strict legislation against sugar hoarders and profiteers.
The prime minister also called for ensuring implementation of track and trace system of sugar mills to ascertain the production volume of the commodity.
The state would take strict action against the profiteers who were the enemies of the poor masses, he remarked.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, PM’s Advisor on Accountability Mirza Shahzad Akbar, Special Assistant to PM Dr Shahbaz Gill and senior officers attended the meeting. Punjab Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Punjab Chief Secretary joined the meeting through video-link.
The Punjab chief secretary told the meeting that all district administration had been directed to monitor the implementation of fixed sugar sale price. Moreover, the process of legislation against the hoarders and profiteers was also in progress, he said.
Also, the CCTV cameras had also been installed at the sugar mills to examine the quantity of sugarcane and sugar production. Besides, the data would also be obtained from sugar mills on daily basis during the crushing season.
On the other hand, Punjab police on Friday arrested the owners and managers of two sugar mills on the charge of selling sweetener at exorbitant rates.
According to the official sources, cases were registered against three sugar mills including Chanar Sugar Mills Faisalabad, Shakar Ganj Sugar Mills Jhang and Pasrur Sugar Mills Gujranwala over violation of the law.
The sources further stated that Chanar Sugar Mills owner Javed Kayani, Shakar Ganj Sugar Mills owner Pervez Ahmed, General Manager (Cane) Manzoor Hussain Malik and General Manager (Admin) Hussain Malik had been held by the police. Raids were being conducted for the arrest of the owners of Pasrur Sugar Mills.
Punjab Chief Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal said that violators of the law would be dealt with an iron hand. He said that strict action would be taken in case of sugar’s sale at exorbitant prices and nobody would be allowed to sell the sweetener higher than the ex-mill rate of Rs84.75 and retail price of Rs89.75 per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) President Ch Zaka Ashraf held a press conference in Lahore along with other office-bearers to give their version of the story. He termed the government’s action uncalled for and unprecedented in the country’s history. “It will destroy the business environment and discourage investment,” he said.
The PSMA president said that the sugar industry was already facing a financial crisis due to the government’s unjust policies against the millers.
“We are 80 business groups in the sugar industry. We are not involved in any politics and want to do business without any hurdles [from the government]. We don’t want any confrontation with the government. The arrests of mill owners will discourage further investment in this industry,” he said. Zaka told reporters that mill owners had tried to contact the government officials concerned to sort out the issue. “But they did not have time to listen to our grievance.”
Justifying the surge in sugar prices, Zaka Ashraf said: “If the sugar cane price goes up, the sugar price will also increase.” He added that the production cost of sugar had reached Rs104 per kg whereas the government had fixed the ex-mill price at Rs84.75 per Kg. “The millers,” he said, “are facing a financial crisis due to the government’s decision of fixing a lower price for the commodity.” He alleged that the government was importing inferior quality sugar at high rates and giving a subsidy of Rs24 per kg to the consumers. “It is not only a burden on a country’s foreign exchange, but it will also discourage overall investment in the country,” he maintained.
To a question, Zaka made an offer to the government to hire the services of independent chartered accountants to evaluate the production cost of sugar. Answering another question, he said that the sugar mills would not be able to start the crushing season on time under the present situation. He also questioned the government’s logic for setting an early deadline for the start of the crushing season, saying that crushing of raw sugarcane would result in considerable reduction in the sugar production.