950828

Centre rejects

rates of sugar

proposed by

Punjab govt

RIZWAN-UR-REHMAN RAZI

LAHORE: The Federal Government has rejected the proposal about the rates of sugar which had been forwarded by the Punjab Government after a triangular meeting with the sugar dealers and sugar manufacturers.

According to the source, federal government has advised sugar manufacturers in the Punjab to wait for the outcome of the government's talks with Sindh Sugar Manufacturers Association.

The Punjab Government has proposed the square rates after full consensus of sugar dealers and sugar manufacturers. Under this proposal the Punjab sugar dealer had undertook that they would provide the sugar in open market at such a price that it would be available in the local market at Rs 18 per Kg. They also promised to sell out their 25 percent production to the Utility Stores Corporation at Rs 12.50 per Kg so that the USC could sell it to the people at Rs 13.50 per Kg.

This proposal was forwarded to the federal government by the Chief Secretary, Punjab, for approval, but there was no positive response from Islamabad in this regard.

Nevertheless the sources confirmed, that a ray of hope was still there because these sugar producers have been asked to wait for the result of the federal government's dialogues with the Sindh sugar manufacturers.

The President Lahore Sugar Dealers Association said, sugar market is worsening day by day and if the government failed to solve this crisis within next two or three days there would be no sugar in the market for general consumer.