Pakistan: ECC expresses concern over continuous rise in prices of sugar and other essential commodities
The ECC has raised concerns over rising sugar and essential goods prices. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb stressed the need for price control before Ramadan. Measures include selling essentials at lower prices via Sasta and E-bazaars. The government is engaging with sugar millers and plans to announce discounted prices. Pakistan has surplus sugar, but price stabilization remains a priority.
The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet has voiced significant concerns regarding the persistent increase in the prices of sugar and other essential goods. During a recent ECC meeting, Finance Minister and Chairman of the ECC, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, highlighted the alarming rise in sugar prices amid the current crushing season, reported Brecoder.
The ECC also suggested that essential items like sugar, cooking oil/ghee, pulses, and other staples be made available to the public at lower prices through Sasta and E-bazaars during the upcoming month of Ramadan. To address the issue, the committee instructed the Ministry of National Food Security & Research, the Ministry of Industries & Production, and the National Price Monitoring Committee to take necessary steps to control the rising prices of sugar, pulses (especially moong), and cooking oil/ghee before Ramadan. The Ministry of National Food Security & Research has been asked to submit a detailed report on the matter within a week.
Over the past three months, the price of refined sugar has gone up by Rs 1,100 per 50-kg bag, which means an increase of Rs 22 per kg. Retail prices have risen from Rs 133 per kg in November 2024 to Rs 155 per kg in February 2025, prompting the government to take action to stabilise the market.
On February 11, 2025, Minister for National Food Security and Research Rana Tanveer held a meeting with sugar millers to discuss the government’s concerns about the price hike during the crushing season. Tanveer announced that discounted sugar prices would be announced later this week, ensuring that lower-income groups can afford sugar during Ramadan. He also said that, with the help of provincial governments, sugar stalls would be set up across the country to make sugar easily accessible in all regions.
During the meeting, representatives from the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) informed the government that Pakistan has more than 1.7 million tons of excess sugar for the 2024-25 season, which could have been exported. The government had earlier approved the export of 750,000 tons of sugar in 2024 and allowed 40,000 tons for government-to-government export to Tajikistan. According to the Cane Commissioner’s report, local sugar consumption in 2024 was 6.764 million tons.
Pakistan produced a total of 6.843 million tons of sugar in 2024, with Punjab contributing 4.37 million tons, Sindh 2.022 million tons, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) 447,000 tons. Additionally, the country had 823,000 tons of leftover sugar stocks from the previous season, including 517,000 tons held by Punjab mills, 191,000 tons by Sindh mills, and 115,000 tons by KPK mills. This brought the total sugar stock to 7.664 million tons.
The government’s efforts to stabilise sugar prices and ensure the availability of essential items at affordable rates are aimed at providing relief to consumers, especially lower-income groups, during Ramadan. With the upcoming holy month, the focus is on addressing the issues affecting sugar production and pricing while ensuring that people have access to necessities. The next few weeks will be crucial as the government works to implement these measures and monitor their impact on the market.
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Source : Chinimandi
