CCP imposes fine of Rs 44bln to 81 sugarmills

LAHORE, Aug 15,2021 – Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill on Saturday said that Competitive Commission of Pakistan (CCP) had imposed a fine of Rs 44 billion to 81 sugar mills for embezzlement, corruption and exploitation of the farmers.

Addressing a press conference here at Press Information Department (PID), SAPM Dr Shahbaz Gill said that the highest fine of Rs 300 million had been imposed on the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) for its persistent anti-competitive practice.

He said that two of the four members of the CCP had been fined immediately and two had been under further investigation, adding that the CCP existed even before the PTI government, but it remained silent about the corruption of sugar mafia because it was occupied by politicians.

Sugar mills blackmailed the government and got subsidies

He said that the law was equal for all and whoever committed crime/corruption would be accountable to the law, adding that the sugar mills owners always blackmailed the government and got subsidies but Prime Minister Imran Khan was the only ruler who could not be blackmailed.

He said that for the last several year, a subsidy of Rs 30 billion was being given to sugar mills, adding that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government had stopped this subsidy and provided relief to the people and farmers.

Landlords came to politics, made sugar mills or established TV channels

“Why so many landlords came to politics, made sugar mills or established TV channels”, questioned the SAPM and replied that they wanted to get benefits from government and make more money.

He said that PSMA did not perform their actual work but wasted their energy to manipulate the market for their own interest, adding that the PSMA set up zonal committees in Punjab for determining the price, stock in the market and make their own decisions in this regard.

Crushing of 15 sugar mills stopped illegally in the Punjab 

He said that that PSMA stopped crushing of 15 sugar mills illegally in the Punjab zone from December 30,2019 to January 11, 2020, adding that during the period, farmers suffered from severe losses and stood in lines outside the mills for several days caused reduction in weight of sugarcane.

He said that the PSMA sold 20,000 metric ton of sugar to utility stores in 2019 and made a lot of money, adding that he was eyewitness in Punjab that the owners of sugar mills blackmailed the government and took subsidies from it.

He said that players in the sugar business were present in every sector like politics, businesses, bureaucracy and other powerful sectors of the country therefore they influenced the accountability process.