Sugar mills directed to submit complete info to cane commissioner

LAHORE: The Punjab government has reiterated that all the sugar mills should submit full information to the cane commissioner on daily basis regarding sugar production and sale to brokers/dealers, enabling the authorities to check hoarding or unjustifiable increase in the prices of the commodity.

Sources told the Business Recorder on Wednesday that the occupiers of mills are bound under section 9 (b) of the Punjab Sugar (Supply chain Management) Order, 2021 to provide the above information pertaining to production and sale of sugar to the office of the cane commissioner on a prescribed format. Nevertheless, it is alleged that requisite information is not being provided to the office of the cane commissioner.

The commissioner had asked this information through an earlier letter No. CC WP-48553/21 dated 04.08.2021. The letter demanded that the occupiers of the sugar mills must provide information of sale of sugar made to various brokers, dealers and bulk consumers. In a fresh letter, issued to the mills by the cane commissioner, it said that certain unscrupulous elements hoard sugar and thereby jack up its prices.

It further said that lack of information and opacity shrouding sale of sugar are the major contributory factors of hoarding, black-marketing and price-hike of sugar, brunt of which is ultimately borne by the common man.

Full disclosure of information by the sugar mills, which is even otherwise mandatory upon them under the law, can help ameliorate the lot of the people, the cane commissioner said in his letter.

It may be added that a six-member delegation of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) led by its chairman Ch Zaka Ashraf also held a meeting with Chief Secretary Punjab Kamran Ali Afzal the other day to apprize him about the problems faced by the sugar industry.

The chief secretary said the provincial government would ensure implementation of the ex-mill and retail price of sugar in any case.

He said that the sale of sugar on more than Rs 90 per kg would not be allowed. He mentioned that safeguarding public interest is the responsibility of the government. He asked the sugar mill owners to ensure timely payment of sugarcane to the farmers without any deductions, besides providing the required information about crushing and stocks in the database regularly.

He also issued directions regarding action against middlemen and illegal weigh stations involved in the purchase of sugarcane. He said that 12 illegal weigh stations were removed in Layyah.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021