LAHORE: As the Punjab government is going to amend the Sugar Factories Control Act 1950, sugar millers have been invited to submit their input to the exercise as stakeholders.

Cane Commissioner Muhammad Zaman Wattoo has, in a communiqué to the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association chairman, invited the millers to submit and discuss their input at his (cane commissioner’s) office.

It has been learnt that the government is going to amend the law to make delayed payment to sugarcane growers and non-payment of interest for the delayed period as a cognizable offence.

Similarly, the provincial authorities are also pondering to add jail term on non-deposit of road use cess with the treasury.

In the existing law, the cane commissioner can impose a fine on non-depositing or delayed depositing of the cess, 50 per cent of which is levied on the sugarcane seller and the mills has to give a matching amount to be deposited with the treasury in monthly installments.

A source says that the sugar millers have been asked to submit details of the payments made to the growers as well as the cess record for the last five years.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2020