Not so sweet

Hours after the FIA put in place over 10 cases against major sugar barons in the country and speculative pricing agents who did much of the work for them, the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet, which met under new Finance Minister Hammad Azhar on Wednesday allowed the import of sugar from India. It is hoped that this will help push down the price of sugar in the country, which once again, after an inquiry was carried out months ago, has risen to Rs100 per kg or more. People have been complaining bitterly about the prices of the essential commodity and in response the government has for the moment decided to allow white sugar to be brought in from India. This is also the first trade exchange between Pakistan and India since August 2019 when trade was suspended after India undid the special status of Kashmir written into its constitution. Along with sugar, the import of much needed cotton and yarn will also be allowed so as to offer the industry enough to carry out manufacturing.

The sugar crisis is not new; in fact, it has been lingering for almost three years now. There have been accusations of political use of the issue, but with the FIA cracking down against 10 groups which include the group of PTI leader Jehangir Tareen and his son Ali Tareen as well as various branches of the Sharif family and other tycoons, it seems there may now be a serious attempt in place to push down the price of this vital item. Sugar will of course increase in demand as we enter the month of Ramazan when it is required in almost all households. And, while the action to make sugar more accessible is to be welcomed, it is also important that transparency now be shown in the matter of apprehending all those involved in the hoarding and black-marketing of sugar as well as those who worked for them. The FIA says it has plenty of proof on its records, much of it in the form of electronic communications such as WhatsApp messages over which strategy was shared.

The sugar shortage that befell the nation was the result of multiple players who created a hoax of scarcity resulting in rapid price hike, while the government claims sufficient sugar stocks were lying in sugar mills and godowns. The FIA has estimated that during the past year, the sugar mafia earned billions of rupees in this illicit manipulation of the sugar market. The precise amount earned by each group is on FIA records, according to the agency. The question for now is how the cartels can be broken up permanently. While Pakistan produces enough sugar to avoid requiring imports, it needs to regulate it more effectively. This is the key message from the events of the past year and events which must not be repeated in the future for the sake of the people of the country who are overburdened by the high prices of essential food items.