Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Wednesday deemed sugar prices of Rs178-180 per kg unacceptable, setting the retail rate at Rs164 per kg and capping the ex-mill price below Rs159 per kg.
Announcing the major decisions after chairing a meeting to review sugar prices in a live broadcast on national television, he said a sub-committee was being formed to submit recommendations within one month to address the persistent issue.
The top official said that the committee formed on the directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to look into the sugar issue had held several meetings in the past after its prices were hiked in the holy month of Ramadan.
Dar, a former finance minister, said that the sale of sugar at Rs178-180 per kg was not tolerable at any cost, neither to the prime minister nor to the government.
A sub-committee headed by Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer Hussain would submit its feedback within one month prior to April 19 in this regard, he informed.
He said the sugar mills association had explained their reasons and they held detailed interaction over the issue.
The meeting was attended by Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, PM’s Adviser Haroon Akhtar, representatives of the sugar mills association and the relevant senior officials.
Dar reiterated that the government was committed to conclude the issue and through a viable way, provide relief to the common man in the form of availability of sugar at a reasonable price in the market.
He further explained that with collective consultations, if the two-tier system could be implemented, the common man would get sugar at even the lowest price as announced.
The DPM-FM also thanked the sugar mills association for the provision of sugar at the subsidised rate of Rs130 per kg at all 274 sasta bazaars.
There was no shortage of sugar in the country, he said ruling out any need for its import and making it clear that the artificial shortage of sugar would dealt with iron hands.