Sugar still retails at rates higher than govt cap

KARACHI: Despite the government’s announcement to cap the retail price of sugar at Rs164 per kilogram, market data indicates that sellers continue to sell the commodity well above the official ceiling in several cities across the country, openly flouting the government’s directives.

According to the latest Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) report released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday, sugar was being sold at a maximum price of Rs180 per kilogramme in some areas during the week ending April 24, 2025. The average national price stood at Rs168.12 per kg, while even the minimum recorded rate -- Rs164 per kg -- was at the official price cap.

According to city-wise data from the PBS, sugar prices varied across the country, with the highest price recorded at Rs180 per kilogramme in Peshawar. Other cities where sugar was selling above the government’s official cap of Rs164 per kg included Rawalpindi, where prices ranged up to Rs175 per kg, and Karachi, where the maximum price reached Rs175/kg as well.

In Lahore, prices ranged between Rs164 and Rs170 per kg, while in Hyderabad, the average price of sugar was Rs166.65 per kg. In cities like Islamabad, Gujranwala, and Sialkot, prices remained at Rs170 per kg. Meanwhile, some cities including Sargodha and Quetta did record prices in line with the government’s ceiling, at Rs164 per kg.

The federal government had earlier announced the price ceiling in a bid to curb inflationary pressure on essential food items in Ramazan. In March, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that retail sugar prices should not exceed Rs164, following a warning from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) against price manipulation by sugar mills.