LAHORE: Some of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) office bearers on Friday urged the government to first make consensus on one price and then issue instructions to the respective departments to ensure sale of sugar on the mutually decided rates.

“Since we don’t want any sort of differences with anyone, we just want government and other stakeholders to hear us with respect. So the government must make consensus on one rate of the sugar,” association’s senior vice chairman Javed A. Kayani told reporters here at a press conference.

“Court says it has no power to fix sugar price. We want fixation of the sugar price keeping in view the total cost incurs on production. So, we request media to convey our simple demand to the government,” Mr Kayani, who also headed the association as chairman previously, demanded.

Flanked by some other office bearers, he dispelled the impression that there is sugar crisis in the country. “There is not at all sugar crisis in our country. Sugar stocks are available in Pakistan,” he added. But, he said the millers are unable to sale sugar at the rate of Rs65. The total cost on one Kg sugar is Rs72. Then how it is possible to sell it at the rate of Rs65.

Published in Dawn, July 11th, 2020