Members of Pakistan’s sugar industry have had a tough couple of months. For starters, there has been increasing heat on the position of sugar in the country’s agricultural mix.Â
Earlier in the month, Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed delivered a scathing indictment of the vested interests that have allowed politically powerful sugar barons to run amok with this water guzzling crop, edging out important crops like cotton. The speaker’s candid comments during a session of the house are an indication of just how fed-up many have become of how coddled the sugar industry is, especially since his own party leadership are some of the most prominent sugar mill owners in the country.Â
On top of this, the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) was also the site of a rather ugly battle for the position of the association’s chairman, with the matter eventually being settled by the Director General of Trade Organisations (DGTO).Â
So what is going on? The content in this publication is expensive to produce. But unlike other journalistic outfits, business publications have to cover the very organizations that directly give them advertisements. Hence, this large source of revenue, which is the lifeblood of other media houses, is severely compromised on account of Profit’s no-compromise policy when it comes to our reporting. No wonder, Profit has lost multiple ad deals, worth tens of millions of rupees, due to stories that held big businesses to account. Hence, for our work to continue unfettered, it must be supported by discerning readers who know the value of quality business journalism, not just for the economy but for the society as a whole.To read the full article, subscribe and support independent business journalism in Pakistan
