Instead of benefiting the common man, a large percentage of Utility Stores Corporation's (USC) sugar stock is making its way into the open market of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. According to sources, some outlets of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) in the twin cities were selling substantial part of buffer sugar stock in bulk to sweet-makers and bakers here at Rs23.50 per kg to pocket the differential. Shopkeepers and bakers can hardly resist such offer when sugar in the open market was being sold at Rs27 per kg. Difference of four rupees per kg is a big attraction for USC employees to manage bulk sale of sugar to shopkeepers and bakers. The restriction of bulk sale is not barring them from indulging in this unhealthy practice.
Bulk sale of sugar is impossible unless in-charge of the store becomes party to the deal.
Surging prices of sugar is a serious concern to the government. An easy way to check rising trend in sugar rates was to offload buffer stock available with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP).
After serious deliberations, the committee recommended to the government to sell buffer stock through the USC outlets.
On the committee's recommendations, the government directed the TCP to provide buffer stock to the USC. The USC role was of a facilitator to ensure supply of sugar to a common man at a reasonable price. The TCP was of the view that the scheme would ultimately help the government control sugar rates at retail level and protect buyers' interest. The government made several arrangements to ensure that the scheme could not be misused.
It prohibited the USC from bulk sale so that maximum number of buyers could get sugar from the USC outlets at concessional price.
But these arrangements have proved inadequate to plug the leakage. One can easily understand that bulk sale of sugar at some outlets of the USC was an act on the part of some employees to make money.
The TCP is providing 7,5000 tons of sugar to the USC per month so that supply remains intact. The USC is supposed to sell the commodity at its 360 outlets as well as weekly bazaars in major cities.
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