Sugar price increases as utility stores face shortage

PESHAWAR: Customers were forced to buy sugar from the market on high prices due to the unavailability of the commodity at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets in the provincial capital.

A customer, Fawad Khan, said that employees at the USC store in Saddar told him that they had a shortage of sugar. He said that USC stores in Peshawar had been facing sugar shortage for the last 15 days.

The customer said that it was the government responsibility to either control the prices in the open market or ensure availability of all items at all stores across the country. He said that per kilogram sugar in the open market was around Rs93 while at the utility stores it is much cheaper.

An employee of the USC store said that sugar price at the stores was Rs68 per kg.Zonal Manager Peshawar Maris Khan said that products were distributed on the basis of quota, adding that Peshawar Zone had 1100 metric tonnes sugar quota.

He said that Bhakkar to Chitral areas are covered by the Peshawar division, which makes it approximately 192 bags per store.The official said the government had decided to increase the quota of the zones, including Peshawar that could get up to 50,000 metric tonnes sugar.

Currently, he said, said some of the stores could not provide sugar to all customers.The official asked the public to act responsibly, saying that some dealers also get sugar from utility stores on fraudulent means.

He said it was almost impossible to differentiate between genuine customers and dealers.These dealers sent their workers as customers to the stores and purchase sugar from utility stores.

A sugar dealer in Peshawar Liaqat Hameed told The News that the price of the 50kg bag had dropped to Rs4400 that makes the per kg price at Rs90 in the retail market.He expressed the hope that the prices could fall to Rs80 within a week, saying that sugar was being imported that would help stabilise the prices.