Sugar Prices May Spike Again Amid FBR System Failures

The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) on Tuesday said that lifting of sugar from the mills in Punjab and Sindh is being severely affected due to the closure of the FBR’s S-Track portal. The association has written a letter to Federal Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Federal National Food Security Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain, stating that for the past few days, reports have been received from sugar mills located in Punjab and Sindh that the lifting of sugar from the mills is being severely affected due to the closure of the FBR’s S-Track portal. In a statement, a PSMA spokesperson said that if there is an undue restriction on the supply of sugar, it will lead to a shortage of the commodity in the market, which will result in an increase in prices. Due to the closure of the S-Track portal during September and the recent week, most mills were unable to dispatch sugar to the markets, which has also led to an increase in prices. The association said that without access to the system, mills are unable to lift sugar or transport it to markets, creating severe bottlenecks in the supply chain. “If these restrictions persist, the shortage could trigger another surge in prices,” the PSMA spokesperson warned. According to millers, FBR officials posted at factory premises, especially in southern Punjab and interior Sindh, have been blocking dispatches by refusing to issue clearances at mill gates whenever the system is down. The association noted that this has become a recurring issue, further straining market supplies.