Parliamentary committee recommends full deregulation of sugar sector

A parliamentary committee has recommended the full deregulation of Pakistan’s sugar sector. The proposal, aimed at addressing irregularities in the market, also suggests removing private sector representatives from the Sugar Advisory Board and reconstituting it with a more neutral setup, Dawn reported. 

The recommendations, put forward by a sub-committee consisting of Dr. Mirza Ikhtiar Baig, Ms. Tahira Aurangzeb, Farhan Chishti, and Gul Asghar Khan, were presented at a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce, chaired by Jawed Hanif Khan. 

The committee reviewed the progress on key trade-related issues, including regulatory reforms, industrial competitiveness, and the implementation of the national trade policy.

The committee adopted the report from the Ministry of Commerce, emphasizing the need to hold individuals accountable for past decisions that permitted sugar exports detrimental to national interests. 

Chairman Khan called for a detailed inquiry into those responsible and stressed the importance of accountability.

The committee also directed the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) to explain its failure to prevent cartelization in the sugar sector.