Another meeting of the committee on sugar on Saturday remained inconclusive as its members stuck to their respective positions and finally the matter was left for Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to decide. Sources said that the committee remained divided over the basic issues like mode of release of sugar by Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), and the rate at which the commodity should be offered to the public.
Quantity and procedure for tender were also controversial issues which could not be settled by the committee even after two consecutive meetings.
Sources said that Minister for Privatisation Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh wanted that TCP should offer the commodity direct to the buyers at Rs 19 per kg. He strongly opposed a proposal that TCP should issue local tenders to offer the commodity in lots of 25,000 tons on weekly basis.
Sources said that Minister for Industries and Production Jahangir Tareen had a different view. His argument was that TCP should stay in the market to stabilise rates to protect the consumers. He wanted that TCP should float tenders and offer the commodity in small lots. In his opinion, each lot should be of 25,000 tons.
Sources said that Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar seconded Tareen's view that TCP should offload sugar through tenders to achieve the objective of stabilising prices in the open market without hurting the industry and others who deal in sugar business.
None of the committee members showed flexibility in their views, which reduced chances of a consensus.
Finally a general sense prevailed among the members that since the matter was of urgent nature it should be left for the Prime Minister to take final decision.
The Prime Minister, who is well-versed with the matter as he himself chaired the meeting of the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet as its Chairman which met on Tuesday last, is expected to take final decision on Monday.
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