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Portal closure, import policy blamed for sugar price hike | The Express Tribune
PSMA warns supply disruption, cash flow crisis caused by preferential treatment for imported sugar
LAHORE:
A special meeting of the Sugar Advisory Board was held under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain to review the sugar market situation, imported sugar stocks, and the closure of the S-Track portal. The deputy prime minister attended via Zoom, while the federal minister joined from the Lahore office of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA).
According to a statement issued by the PSMA, the sugar industry made it clear that the government’s policy of prioritising the sale of imported sugar and closing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) portals for local sugar sales has triggered the recent price surge and supply shortage in the market.
Industry representatives said that for the past three weeks, mills across the country have been unable to supply sugar due to the closure of these portals, creating severe cash flow problems and repayment issues on bank loans.
They informed the meeting that the industry had repeatedly warned the government against importing unnecessary sugar but about 300,000 tonnes was still imported. Now, the government is struggling to offload imported sugar, and as a result, the sales portals for local sugar have been blocked.
The industry also told the minister that the PSMA had been cautioning authorities for weeks through letters and press releases that keeping the portals closed would lead to shortages and price hikes. However, these warnings were ignored. Representatives emphasised that the domestic sugar industry was not responsible for the price increase and that dealers and profiteers were the main beneficiaries.
They said the government’s decision to prioritise imported sugar had sidelined the domestic industry and disrupted the supply of better-quality local sugar. As a result, sugar had become both costlier and scarce in several areas of the country.
During the meeting, officials discussed various options for the purchase and distribution of imported sugar by local mills. The federal minister listened to the industry’s concerns and assured that immediate steps would be taken to resolve the issues related to portal closures and ensure smooth supply of sugar to the market.
Last week, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Commerce called for strict accountability over controversial sugar export decisions. Chairman Muhammad Jawed Hanif Khan said repeated policy lapses demanded a detailed inquiry into those responsible. The committee formed a Sub-Committee to investigate the issue and directed the Competition Commission of Pakistan to explain its failure to curb cartelisation. It also recommended deregulation of the sugar sector and restructuring of the Sugar Advisory Board to enhance transparency.
The wait is finally over for over 1 crore central government employees and pensioners. The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has officially approved the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the 8th Central Pay Commission (CPC). The Commission is expected to submit its recommendations within 18 months from the date of its formation. (Image: AI-Generated)
The Central Pay Commission is set up every few years to review and revise salary structures, retirement benefits, and service conditions. (Image: AI-Generated)
Historically, a new Pay Commission is implemented roughly every 10 years. (Image: AI-Generated)
The salary hike depends largely on the fitment factor, which is a multiplier used to calculate the revised basic pay. In the 7th Pay Commission, the fitment factor was 2.57, raising the minimum basic salary from Rs 6,000 to Rs 18,000. (Image: AI-Generated)
For the 8th Pay Commission, different fitment factors are being considered. Here’s how they could impact salaries: if the fitment factor is set at 1.83, the basic salary could rise from Rs 18,000 to around Rs 32,940. A slightly higher factor of 1.86 would increase it to Rs 33,480. However, if the government applies a more generous fitment factor of 2.47, the revised basic pay could reach Rs 44,460. These figures help illustrate how significantly the fitment factor influences salary revisions under the Pay Commission. (File Photo)
Gross salary includes Basic Pay, Dearness Allowance (DA) – linked to inflation, revised twice a year, and House Rent Allowance (HRA) – based on city category (30% for metro cities, 20% for Tier-2 cities, and 10% for Tier-3 cities). (Image: AI-Generated)
Let’s calculate the gross salary using a fitment factor of 2.47 and assuming: Basic Pay: Rs 44,460; DA: Rs 0 (for simplicity); HRA (30% for metro): Rs 13,338. The New Gross Salary = Basic Pay + DA + HRA, which is 44,460 + 0 + 13,338 = Rs 57,798. (Image: AI-Generated)
Business
Aadhaar Card Update: Is Aadhaar A Proof Of Date Of Birth Or Citizenship? Govt Issues Clarification
New Delhi: The Ministry of Communications has issued a latest circular on clarification on the Properties and Usage of Aadhaar by Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The three-point clarification was issues regarding the properties and permissible usage of the Aadhaar number and related documents.
UIDAI said that an Aadhaar number may be used for establishing the identity of the Aadhaar number holder subject to authentication or offline verification.
Further, Aadhaar number or the authentication thereof, is not a proof of citizenship or domicile in respect of Aadhaar number holder.
UIDAI also added that Aadhaar number is not a proof of date of birth and hence, must not be used for establishing the date of birth of the Aadhaar number holder conclusively.
Members of the NASUWT union are set to be balloted on industrial action over class contact time.
The union accused the Scottish Government of failing to meet the SNP manifesto commitment ahead of the 2021 election of reducing contact time by one-and-a-half hours per week.
Announcing the move, NASUWT national official for Scotland Mike Corbett said teachers are “arguably worse off in terms of workload” than before the last election.
“The commitment on class contact time was a recognition by the Scottish Government that additional time away from the classroom was necessary to give teachers sufficient time and space to plan, prepare and assess pupils’ work in order to help students achieve their best and raise attainment.
“Since 2024 we’ve had agreements to work ‘at pace’ and the establishment of working groups by the Scottish Government and Cosla to make meaningful progress on class contact time reduction.
“But the reality is that teachers today are arguably worse off in terms of their workloads and working hours than they were in 2021 when this commitment was first made.
“A reduction in class contact time is as needed now, if not more so, than in 2021.
“It is regrettable that we have been forced to declare a trade dispute and move to a ballot in order to try to force the Government to give teachers the working conditions it itself acknowledges they require to do the job effectively.”
The union’s general secretary Matt Wrack said it had “exhausted all avenues” to reduce contact time, adding: “Where ministers and employers continue to fail our teachers, we will stand up for their right to working conditions which would enable them to deliver the highest quality of learning for our children and young people.”
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ministers have been clear that reducing class contact will help support the time and space necessary for teachers, to allow them to drive improvement and reform in our schools and improve outcomes for their pupils.
“We are committed to working with teaching unions and Cosla to agree our approach to delivering a reduction in class contact time at pace.
“That is why we are providing local authorities with increased funding of £186.5 million to restore teacher numbers – this additional funding was agreed to by local government on the understanding that they make ‘meaningful progress’ with reducing class contact.
“Ministers respect union members’ right to withdraw their labour, but are disappointed that the NASUWT has taken this action while these constructive discussions are ongoing.”
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