LAHORE, Feb 7: Governor Khalid Maqbool said on Tuesday sugar price would be controlled within a few days. He told journalists after the Pakistan Tanners’ Association northern zone award ceremony that sugar price had also been increased in the world market. However, the government was taking steps to control the prices of sugar as well as other edibles.

Sugar was also available at subsidized rates at utility stores and the Central Supply Depot throughout the country, while it was being imported through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan to end present crisis, he said.

He said President Pervez Musharraf had also taken notice of the sugar crisis and issued directives to check hoarding of the commodity.

Earlier at the awards ceremony, the governor acknowledged the leather industry’s contribution towards economy. He said it was a matter of great pleasure that annual export of country’s leather industry rose to $1 billion from $700 million.

He urged the tanners to maintain the pace of development and concentrate on fashion product designing, citing that other countries imported leather from Pakistan and earned much more after reprocessing it.

Maqbool said the government was facilitating the industrial sector to grow, because, at present there was a big shift of primary industry from West to East.

“Pakistan is very lucky on many accounts as it has fertile lands, mountains and rivers, and it has the capacity to survive and we are continuously in business with the European Union.”

He said new technical courses were being introduced in public sector universities to overcome the shortage of skilled manpower for various industrial and other sectors. The government had also rationalized the tax collection system to facilitate them, besides improving road network for the growth of industry. He assured his support for resolving problems being faced by the tanners.

PTA chairman Khurshid Alam appreciated the government policies which ensured business-friendly environment in the country.

He handed over a cheque for Rs1.75 million to the governor for the construction of a school in Azad Kashmir.

On this occasion, the governor said rehabilitation of the quake survivors was going on and “it is our moral duty to continue support till their complete rehabilitation”. At the end, the governor gave away lifetime achievement awards to the selected members of the association.—APP