In FY21, import of wheat and sugar to control skyrocketing prices of the commodities have played a major role in fuelling the overall import bill. AFP/file
KARACHI: Higher imports of food items boosted the overall import bill by 52 per cent to $3.9 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year (1HFY21).
In FY21, import of wheat and sugar to control skyrocketing prices of the commodities have played a major role in fuelling the overall import bill. However, the increase in imports of wheat, sugar and palm oil failed to provide any price relief to the masses.
The overall food import bill shrank by 4.32pc to $5.423bn in FY20 under the government’s plan to curb imports. There were no wheat imports in FY20. Volume of sugar imports was negligible in the same period.