The Ministry of Industries and Production, in the pursuance of the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) order, has directed the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) to provide sugar to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) at a reduced rate to ensure its provision to the consumers at Rs70 per kilogram.

The USC had also written a letter to the PSMA to provide it sugar at the rate of Rs63 per kg so that it could be sold at Rs70 per kg to the consumers to provide them relief, official sources said on Saturday.

The Ministry of Industries, in a letter to the PSMA, quoted the order of IHC stating that “this order be subject to selling the sugar to the non-commercial consumer at the rate of Rs70 per kilogram”, and the PSMA and the Federal Government should “ensure that sugar is available and sold to the non-commercial consumer at the rate of Rs70 per kilogram till the next date fixed.”

“In line with the specific provision, the association may immediately make arrangements to ensure the provision of sugar at Utility Stores Corporation at the prices already conveyed vide USC letter NO.009-Estab/Gen/2019/44 dated date 12th June 2020 so that the corporation can retail it at Rs70 per kilogram,” the ministry said in the letter.

It also directed the association to ensure that in other retail outlets also sugar was sold to non-commercial consumers at the specified price.

Earlier, in a separate letter, the USC had also suggested that the PSMA should provide sugar to it at a rate not more than Rs 63 per kilogram, in order to provide relief to the common citizens.

The USC had also requested the PSMA to treat the matter urgent and inform accordingly about the decision taken by it latest by June 14.–APP