Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) has urged President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to intervene to put an end to ongoing sugar crisis. The PSMA Chairman Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf told newsmen at a press conference here on Monday that any decision taken by the government without consulting the stakeholders would not be acceptable to the sugar industry. He also urged the Prime Minister to take all the stakeholders into confidence before formulating any policy on sugar.

He claimed the government's announcement to import one million tons of sugar also affected the international market that had registered a sudden increase in sugar prices. He held the policy makers responsible for present sugar crisis in the country.

He further said he had extended an offer of unconditional support to the government in its efforts to stabilise the sugar but the government had given no response. He stated that not only the sugar industry but also the sugarcane growers and the consumers were direct sufferer of a wrong decision taken by the vested interest elements. He averred the government had taken a wrong decision by allowing import of 250,000 tons of raw sugar at the cost of sugar industry.

He said 3000-4000 tons of sugarcane was being crushed daily in each mills' area to manufacture 'gur', which was being smuggled to Afghanistan.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2005