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LAHORE: Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain on Tuesday assured the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) of the government’s immediate action to resolve the issues faced by the industry, including the closure of portals and related concerns. The minister was speaking at a special meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board, which discussed the situation regarding imported sugar, the closure of the S-Track portal, and other related matters. The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain. The Deputy Prime Minister joined via Zoom, while the Federal Minister attended from the Lahore office of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association. Providing details, a PSMA representative said the sugar industry had made it clear that the government’s policy of prioritizing the sale of imported sugar by closing FBR portals was causing rising prices and reduced availability in the market. Due to the portals being closed for three weeks, sugar has not been supplied to the market, while mills across the country are facing severe cash flow and loan repayment challenges. Industry representatives informed the minister that the association had repeatedly raised the issue of portal closures and had opposed unnecessary sugar imports from the outset. However, approximately 300,000 tons of sugar has been imported. Now, the government is struggling to sell the imported sugar, resulting in the closure of portals for selling locally produced sugar. During the meeting, various options were considered for the purchase and distribution of imported sugar by local mills. The minister was told that the industry had already warned the government through several letters and press releases about the potential shortage and price hike caused by keeping the portals closed. Despite these warnings, the concerns were ignored. The representatives stressed that the sugar industry was not responsible for the increase in prices; rather, the real beneficiaries were dealers and profiteers. They added that by sidelining the domestic industry and closing the portals to promote imported sugar, the government had disrupted the supply of higher-quality local sugar. As a result, sugar has become both expensive and scarce in many areas. The Federal Minister listened to the industry’s concerns regarding the closure of portals and other issues and assured their immediate resolution. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
