LAHORE: In an unprecedented move, the Punjab government on Friday notified the ex-mill price of sugar at Rs 80 per kilograms and Rs 85 per kilograms in the retail market.

According to a notification issued by the Directorate General Industries, Prices, Weights & Measures Punjab, prevailing ex-mill rates of sugar is hovering around Rs 92-94 per kilogram and retail rate is approximately Rs 100 per kilogram which is not justified in any way. Keeping in view above situation, the matter of fixation of sugar prices was taken up with the federal government and it was requested to provide cost calculation of sugar for current season.

Keeping in view the rates given by the federal government, the director prices after adding incidental charges, transportation charges and profit margin has fixed the ex-mill price of Rs 80 per kilograms (including all taxes). However, the price should not be more than Rs 85 per kilogram in any case.

Addressing all the commissioners and deputy commissioners of the province, the notification said that a meeting of district price control committee may be convened immediately and rate of sugar fixed realistically and notification be issued accordingly.

The sources said the mills would be given a cushion of a few days and then the district administrations would be moved to enforce the rate.

Meanwhile Cane Commissioner Punjab Muhammad Zaman Wattoo has also issued a final notice to 19 sugar mills for clearance of cane-growers’ dues latest by April 3, 2021.

It is said that these mills owe Rs 9.65 billion jointly to the sugar cane growers. The mills included Tandlianwala-I & II (Faisalabad & Muzaffargarh), Channar Sugar Mills (Faisalabad), Ramzan Sugar Mill (Chiniot), SW Sugar Mill (Sargodha), RYK Sugar Mill (Rahim Yar Khan), Adam Sugar Mill (M B Din), Ashraf Sugar Mill (Bahawalpur), Pattoki Sugar Mill (Kasur), Al Arabia Sugar Mill (Sargodha), Rasool Nawaz Sugar Mill (Faisalabad), Madina Sugar Mill (Chiniot), Haq Bahu Sugar Mill (Jhang), Kashmir Sugar Mill (Jhang), G. B Sugar Mill (Sialkot), Seven Star Sugar Mill (Nankana Sahib) and Husein Sugar Mill (Faisalabad).

The notice said that sugar mills in the Punjab closed their last crushing season between 1st March to 18th March, 2021.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021