ISLAMABAD, Feb 21: The government has enhanced supply of sugar to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) from 20,000 tons to 30,000 tons per month to ensure uninterrupted provision of the commodity to the consumers.

Managing Director of the USC Brig Hafeez Ahmed told a press briefing that the decision had been taken on the directives of the prime minister. The government had earlier enhanced the supply to USC to 20,000 tons from 11,000 tons. Brig Hafeez said this was the third major enhancement in the supply of sugar to USC during the last couple of weeks.

The USC is providing sugar at no-profit-no-loss basis, he said, adding that they were not charging for transportation and packaging and were selling the commodity at the price at which the sweetener was being provided to it through the Trading Corporation of Pakistan.

The USC chief said the sugar crisis would continue for another couple of months and could be controlled if all the stakeholders realised their role.

“I urge all the consumers not to panic. The utility stores normally sold 6,000 tons but this sale increased to 11,000 tons in January. By February 15, the USC had released over 11,000 tons to its outlets.” The USC is now providing sugar to the consumers through 1,100 outlets, some of which have been specially set up to facilitate the consumers.

The USC has 440 permanent sale points. Besides, it has set up 450 mobile sale points including over 100 in impoverished localities in urban areas. Sugar is also being supplied through stalls set up in weekly bazaars.

“Because of this massive extension in sale network, the queues outside utility stores for buying sugar are getting shorter and shorter.”

He said the utility stores daily sold sugar to some 600,000 customers, which was enough to meet the needs of the middle and lower middle class provided the facility was not misused.