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Sugar merchants across Balochistan have accused the provincial administration of imposing conditions that effectively block the sale of domestically manufactured sugar, compelling traders to rely almost entirely on imported stocks.
They have urged the government to immediately resume issuing no-objection certificates (NOCs) that allow sugar consignments from Punjab and Sindh to be transported into the province, as reported by Dawn. According to Dawn, during a press briefing, Central Anjuman-i-Tajran Balochistan President Abdul Rahim Kakar and Balochistan Sugar Dealers' Association President Syed Abdul Rehman Shah warned that if authorities fail to address the problem within a week, sugar trade across the province could collapse. With no sugar mills operating in Balochistan, the local market depends on supplies from other provinces, a system now paralysed by administrative restrictions, the leaders stated. They claimed that traders were being pushed to sell only imported sugar, forcing consumers to buy a more expensive and lower-quality product. Imported sugar is currently priced at around Rs 175 per kilogram, while domestically produced sugar has an ex-mill rate of about Rs 140 per kg. The Rs 40 price gap, they argued, is unfairly transferred to consumers already struggling with high inflation. They added that imported sugar is noticeably less sweet, leading to widespread dissatisfaction in local markets. The traders further highlighted that freight charges from Karachi to Quetta and other districts are substantially higher than transport costs from Sindh's sugar mills. This difference not only increases market prices but also intensifies the financial pressure on retailers and buyers alike. Consumers, they said, traditionally prefer Pakistani sugar due to its superior sweetness and quality, Dawn reported. According to the leaders, the business community has already cleared its assigned quota of imported sugar, yet they are now being pressured to purchase an additional 50,000-60,000 tonnes stored at Karachi Port. They said they had met the chief secretary and officials from the industries department to convey how forced reliance on imported sugar was destabilising the market, but no concrete action has been taken so far, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)
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