The Wholesale Grocers Association has raised a serious alarm over the recent surge in sugar prices across Pakistan, labeling it an artificially created crisis designed to exploit consumers.
Allegations of Systematic Price Manipulation
Association Chairman Rauf Ibrahim, in a conversation with The Express Tribune, stated that the current situation has been systematically engineered for maximum profit at the public's expense. He revealed a startling fact: despite the sugarcane crushing season being in full swing, only 10% of sugar mills have begun operations, while the remaining 90% are deliberately holding back.
This strategic delay is happening despite a 25% increase in sugarcane production this year, coupled with imports that should have stabilized the market. Instead, the public is being forced to buy sugar at exorbitant rates, creating an unnecessary financial burden on households.
Soaring Prices and Lost Relief
The price data presented by the association paints a grim picture. In Karachi, the ex-mill price has jumped from Rs175 to Rs185 per kg. This increase cascades down to the wholesale level, where the rate has reached Rs187 per kg, and finally to the retail consumer, where prices have decisively crossed the Rs200 per kg mark.
The situation is similarly dire in other provinces. In Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sugar is being sold for anywhere between Rs200 and Rs210 per kilogram.
Ibrahim emphasized the lost opportunity for public relief. He asserted that if the available bumper sugarcane crop were crushed in a timely manner, the retail price of sugar could drop to around Rs120 per kg. This would provide immediate and significant financial respite to millions of Pakistanis.
Call for Government Intervention
In light of these revelations, the Wholesale Grocers Association has made an urgent appeal to the government. They are demanding strict action against the elements responsible for orchestrating this artificial crisis.
The association's stance highlights a critical failure in market regulation, where abundant supply is not translating into affordable prices for the end consumer. The ball is now in the government's court to investigate these claims and intervene to protect citizens from unjust price hikes.
