[:en]COMMERCE REPORTER
LAHORE: Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (Punjab Zone) has said that currently, about 6,000 tons of containers carrying sugar are standing on the Pakistan- Afghanistan border, which are stopped due to the suspension of trade between the two countries.
In a a statement, PSMA-PZ spokesman said that some segments have spread a notion that sugar mills have not fulfilled the quota of 0.15 million tonnes of sugar export.
It was said there is absolutely no truth in it. The Pak-Afghan border has been closed for the past several days and bilateral trade has come to a complete standstill.
Spreading such news in this situation is tantamount to creating a negative sentiment against a major industry of the country.
How will the sugar industry achieve the target of 45 days of export when the HS Code of sugar has not been activated in the Customs Department’s software for 15 days. The government is requested to immediately resolve the issue of closure of the Pak-Afghan border so that the surplus sugar can be transported easily.
The spokesman said that only two months are left in the start of the next crushing season and with 1.5 million tonnes of surplus sugar, the government has not made any significant progress in this regard. Due to good sugarcane crop, further 1.5 million tonnes of surplus sugar is expected in next season. Sugar mills cannot afford to start a new crushing season until the current surplus stock of sugar is exported.[:]