Sugar exported Afghanistan: 'Massive' discrepancy found

The Sugar Inquiry Commission has found "massive" discrepancy in data of sugar exported to Afghanistan.

The data from FBR shows that Pakistan exported 2,355,613 Metric Tons of sugar to Afghanistan from January 2015 to to-date. In order to verify the export figures, the data was obtained from the Afghan Government. According to their data, Pakistan exported 1,577,232 MT of sugar to Afghanistan in the said period, with a difference of 778,381 MT. The difference was so large that the Commission engaged with the FBR Customs officers for further verification and reconciliation. According to the Customs officers, the transit sugar exported to Central Asia from Afghanistan has not been included by the Afghanistan authorities in the data of sugar imported from Pakistan and thus, causing this difference.

The Commission, therefore, again approached the Afghanistan authorities via the Foreign Office for provision of sugar transit data from Pakistan to Central Asia through Afghanistan. The Afghanistan government has provided the transit data which shows that 697,455 MT of sugar from Pakistan had been exported to Central Asia through Afghanistan. This leaves an unreconciled figure of 80,926 MT between the export data figures of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A gap of 80,926 MT still remains between the data of the two countries, which needs to be properly inquired. The Government may issue directions to the FBR to initiate an inquiry in this matter.

In addition, the Commission has found documentary evidence that trucks with a registered weight carrying capacity of 15 tons carried sugar loads of 97 tons to Afghanistan. This matter needs to be further probed. In the Export Scheme of 2014-2015, over the counter deposit of foreign currency was allowed by invoking SRO 77 of 2013. This was later revoked in December 2015 and now the foreign currency payments are received through Foreign Telegraphic Transfer (FIT). The Commission is of the view that export to Afghanistan should only be allowed against LCs.