Government Seizes Sugar Stocks Nationwide Amid Escalating Supply Crisis
ISLAMABAD – In a move that marks one of the strongest crackdowns on the sugar industry in recent years, the federal government has taken full control of the country’s sugar reserves, aiming to stabilize supply and rein in rising prices.
Following weeks of growing concern over hoarding and price manipulation, authorities have now placed 1.9 million metric tons of sugar under direct state oversight. This stockpile, previously managed by private sugar mills, is now being regulated to curb what officials describe as an “artificial shortage” created by industry players.
FBR Agents Deployed, Tracking Systems Installed
To enforce transparency, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has stationed agents at all sugar mills across Pakistan. These agents are monitoring inventory movement and overseeing shipments to prevent undisclosed sales or stockpiling. At the same time, a digital track-and-trace mechanism has been rolled out to ensure real-time surveillance of sugar stock levels at each facility.
Officials from the Ministry of National Food Security say this measure is critical to preventing speculative price inflation and ensuring sugar availability in the local market.
Minister Signals Tougher Measures Ahead
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, did not mince words at a recent press conference. He confirmed the government is considering placing several sugar mill owners on the Exit Control List (ECL), effectively barring them from leaving the country while investigations into market manipulation are ongoing.
“This is not just about sugar,” Hussain stated. “It’s about protecting the common citizen from the stranglehold of cartels that thrive on artificial scarcity.”
A Pattern of Intervention
This is not the first time the government has intervened in the sugar sector, but the scale and immediacy of this action suggest growing frustration with persistent market distortions. Sugar prices have remained volatile despite healthy production levels, raising suspicions of coordinated efforts by some millers to withhold supply and inflate prices.
The current intervention signals a shift from reactive price controls to proactive state regulation, at least in the short term. It remains to be seen whether these measures will restore market balance or provoke further resistance from the powerful sugar lobby.
For now, with warehouses under watch and mill owners under scrutiny, the government appears determined to reclaim control over a sector long plagued by controversy.
