LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 28th Oct, 2025) A special meeting of the Sugar Advisory board was held on Tuesday under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister for National food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain. The Deputy Prime Minister attended the meeting via Zoom, while the Federal Minister participated from the Lahore office of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA), as confirmed by a PSMA spokesperson.
The meeting primarily focused on the situation surrounding imported sugar, the closure of the S-Track portal, and other pressing issues. The sugar industry representatives made it clear during the meeting that the government’s policy of preferentially selling imported sugar, coupled with the closure of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) portals, was the main cause behind the escalating prices and the scarcity of sugar in the market.
As the portals have remained closed across mills for three weeks, the sugar supply to the market has been severely disrupted.
This, according to the industry, has led to cash flow problems for the mills and difficulties in repaying loans taken from banks.
The meeting also considered various options for the purchase and distribution of imported sugar through the mills. The industry representatives informed the government that they had previously raised concerns through letters and press releases, warning that the continued closure of the portals would result in a sugar shortage, inevitably driving up prices.
The PSMA spokesperson emphasized that the sugar industry should not be held responsible for the rising prices. Instead, the real beneficiaries of the price hike, according to the spokesperson, are dealers and profiteers in the supply chain.
In response, Federal Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain listened to the industry’s concerns about the closure of portals and other related issues. He assured that immediate steps would be taken to resolve the challenges and streamline the sugar supply process.
