At Rs180 per kilogram, sugar has become the ultimate symbol of Pakistan\u2019s economic mismanagement. Just two weeks ago, it stood at Rs145, and with demand surging (thanks to Ramadan), further hikes seem inevitable. The government\u2019s repeated promises to control inflation sound increasingly hollow, drowned out by the silence over who truly benefits from this crisis. Every sugar shortage in Pakistan follows a well-rehearsed script. First, production figures are deliberately exaggerated, creating an illusion of surplus that paves the way for government-approved exports. Then, as shortages deepen, hoarding accelerates, and smuggling networks (operating with impunity) funnel thousands of tonnes of sugar across the border. When prices reach crisis levels, the government imports sugar at exorbitant rates, draining national reserves while further enriching the very figures who created the problem in the first place.
\nThe state, far from being an impartial regulator, enables this cycle through ill-advised policies, weak enforcement, and political patronage. While officials insist that \u201cmarket forces\u201d are to blame for high prices, the reality is far more insidious. The sugar industry is deeply entangled in illicit trade, feeding an underground economy that operates unchecked.
\nThis year\u2019s crisis was entirely predictable. Despite multiple warnings from industry experts, Pakistan approved sugar exports when wholesale prices were still Rs125 per kg. Mere months later, domestic markets are in turmoil, exposing the glaring failure in supply assessments and a deliberate lack of transparency.
\nFinance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, while touting Pakistan\u2019s first-ever legal sugar exports to Afghanistan as an economic success, offers no real solutions for the unchecked profiteering within Pakistan. His so-called \u201cout-of-the-box\u201d mechanism to import raw sugar simply shifts the burden onto taxpayers while ensuring that mill owners remain untouched.
\nOur sugar industry is, in essence, an empire where powerful families own sugar mills, making them both policymakers and profiteers. The 2020 Sugar Inquiry Commission revealed extensive manipulation, including price-fixing, underreporting of stocks, and securing export subsidies; however, no meaningful action was taken. The same stakeholders continue to dictate policy while citizens suffer from skyrocketing food prices.
\nAs the average Pakistani household spends an unprecedented percentage of income on food, sugar becomes an unaffordable essential. At a time when inflation already weakens purchasing power, this crisis deepens daily hardships. It raises a crucial question: why does each administration allow powerful players to exploit the system, year after year. The government faces a clear choice: serve the people or serve the profiteers. Yet, for now, the decision appears already made.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
At Rs180 per kilogram, sugar has become the ultimate symbol of Pakistan\u2019s economic mismanagement. Just two weeks ago, it stood at Rs145, and with demand surging (thanks to Ramadan), further hikes seem inevitable. The government\u2019s repeated promises to control inflation sound increasingly hollow, drowned out by the silence over who truly benefits from this crisis. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-467050","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n