Chairman-elect Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf has strongly criticised the Sindh government's decision of sealing five sugar mills and termed it an anti-industry move.
In a press statement issued here on Tuesday, Zaka said, if the State Bank of Pakistan could offer a relief package to the textile and other industries of the country for the clearance of their outstanding loans, why the Sindh government cannot negotiate with the sugar industry by offering a relief or a workable package, he questioned.
He recollected that the sugar mills in Punjab had faced similar situation a few years back but the Punjab government and the sugar mills decided to sit across the table and settled the issue amicably.
He pointed out that the sugar mills in Sindh province could not pay road cess because of the circumstantial reasons and none of them have defaulted wilfully.
He said the sugar industry in Sindh has been passing through severe crisis over the last few years due to genuine reasons like high price of sugarcane and depressed sugar prices in the market due to surplus import of duty free sugar from India in 2000-01.
He was of the view that the decision of sealing five sugar mills in Sindh would not only demoralise the industrial sector but would also send negative message to the investors.
According to him, the country's interest could only be served in case the policymakers, business and industrial sector work jointly to promote a congenial atmosphere for Pakistan's economy.
He urged the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Sindh Chief Minister to take notices of the situation and asked the authorities concerned to resolve the issue amicably through dialogue.
Comments
Comments are closed.