Farm workers offloading sugarcane crop in Matiari Sugar Mills for crushing on Tuesday. Photo by Umair Ali
HYDERABAD: Even though more sugar production is being anticipated this cane crushing season which is nearing its end as compared to 2019-20, consumers are unlikely to get any relief in the price of the sweetener as the rates are expected to cross Rs100 per kg in the days to come.
Millers like Ahmed Bawani, chairman of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA), Sindh zone, attributed the anticipated increase in price to higher cost of sugarcane paid to farmers “which is around 73pc of total production cost of sugar”.
LHC allows growers to sell crops to other provinces
Verdict says sugar mills have no right to weaken farmers financially
ISLAMABAD:
The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday allowed the sugarcane growers to sell their produce to other provinces.
Justice Jawad Hassan announced the verdict on a petition filed by a sugar mill owner challenging the Punjab cane commissioner’s decision regarding lifting of inter-provincial ban on sugarcane export to other provinces.
The court, while upholding the move to sell sugarcane to other provinces, said that farmers have constitutional rights to sell sugarcane wherever they want.
“Sugar mills have no right to weaken the farmer financially,” according to the verdict.
FBR to impose ‘heavy’ penalties on sugar mills
Business
January 30, 2021
KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to impose ‘heavy’ penalties on sugar mills if they fail to connect their facilities through real-time video links with the tax authority, it said on Friday.
The FBR warned sugar mills and vendors who install video analytics system (VAS) to get the task done by January 31 otherwise they would face heavy penalties from February.
The FBR issued instructions to chief commissioners having jurisdictions to impose penalty on non-compliant sugar mills. The FBR also issued warning to the selected vendors of fine and penalties on non-compliance.
National
January 21, 2021
ISLAMABAD: After finding out cartelization for fleecing consumers established through an inquiry, the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has kick-started hearings against the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and 84 mills for ascertaining the veracity of allegations in violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2010.
According to an official announcement made here on Wednesday, the CCP has on 7th January 2021 commenced hearings in the proceedings against the PSMA and 84 member mills for prima facie cartelization, in violation of Section 4 of the Competition Act 2010.
The hearings were held on 7th, 8th, 11th, 15th and 20th January 2021 respectively and the CCP has so far heard the PSMA and 40 sugar mills through their respective counsels. The matter was initially fixed for hearing on 20th, 24th and 25th November 2020; however, owing to respondents’ requests, adjournments were granted on various grounds. Finally, the first round of hearin