Sugar scandal: FIA seeks details of sugar export to Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seeking details about the export of sugar to Afghanistan through the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad.

The agency is also examining whether its export to Afghanistan has been used for money laundering and whitening black money. The FBR’ Benami directorates have also been conducting the audit of Sugar mills.

A letter of the FIA written to the Ministry and available with The News has sought details of sugar export during 2014-15 and 2019-20 to Afghanistan. A recently formed 11-member team, headed by Director FIA Islamabad Zone Dr Moeen Masood, is investigating this multi-billion rupees sugar scam.

This team also has representatives from Customs, FBR and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). The government has also recently made public the Sugar Inquiry Commission report that pointed towards some fake sugar export to Afghanistan.

The investigation is based on findings of the Sugar Inquiry Commission report and it has to furnish the final report within 90 days.

The report has pinpointed that sugar quantity exported to Afghanistan has been exaggerated. It showed that 75 tons/truck were exported, while maximum capacity of a truck, even when overloaded, does not exceed 30 tons.

There is also possibility of laundering money and whitening of black money, as the sugar exported to Afghanistan but the telegraphic payments coming from the U.S and Dubai to various sugar mills owners.

Interestingly, the report also finds that sugar mills paid an estimated Rs22bn in taxes to the government, but out of that total amount, Rs12bn was reclaimed in rebates.Hence, the net contribution was close to around Rs10bn.

Since the government has made the sugar commission’s report public, the prices of sugar is increasing and even touched Rs100/kg. However, to discourage hoarding and exploitation, the government has also given permission to sugar import.