Govt fixes ex-mill sugar price at Rs165/kg to curb surging retail rates

ex-mill sugar price
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ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The federal government on Monday fixed the ex-mill sugar price at Rs165 per kilogram, aimed at providing relief to consumers during the surge in retail prices.

According to the Ministry of National Food Security statement, the government and the sugar industry have reached an agreement on the new ex-mill price of the commodity. The decision came after the prices climbed to as high as Rs200 per kg in several parts of the country.

“All provincial governments will ensure the availability of cheap sugar to the public at the newly fixed rate,” the statement read.

Despite this agreement, sugar prices in open markets continue to rise as the commodity is being sold at prices far exceeding the new ex-mill rate.

The ministry officials blame the surging prices on alleged collusion among the “sugar mafia,” which is accused of hoarding and manipulating supply to inflate prices.

Last week, the federal government approved the import of half a million tonnes of sugar in a bid to maintain affordable prices of the commodity.

The federal cabinet approved the import of up to 500,000 metric tonnes of sugar through the public sector to ensure a stable supply and maintain affordable prices nationwide. The Ministry of National Food Security, in a statement, confirmed that implementation of the plan is already underway.

The ministry stated that the move is part of a more effective and transparent strategy aimed at correcting the market, contrasting it with previous years’ policies that allegedly enabled artificial shortages for subsidy gains.

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