Dr Hanif Mughal, Senior Vice President of Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Tuesday said the influential sugar mafia had started an artificial sugar crisis across the country to profit during the holy month of Ramadan.Rs30 has increased the price of sugar to Rs40 rupees per kg In different parts of the country, which is unjustified, he said.

He added that a large quantity of sugar is being smuggled to Afghanistan, where the smugglers get paid in US Dollars.

Hanif Mughal said that inflation had broken the back of the people, the prices of electricity, gas, and petrol were also continuously increasing, and the rupee continued to weaken. He informed that a flour crisis was already taking a toll on the masses, and now the sugar crisis after the flour crisis is an atrocity in which the country’s most influential people are involved.

He said there is no sugar shortage in the country, but the prices are increasing daily, which is a cause for concern.

So far, one hundred and fifty billion rupees have been taken out of the pocket of the poor to fill the coffers of the mafia, and the process continues unabated.

He warned that if the crackdown is delayed, the price of sugar will soon double, and the price of bakery items, sweets and beverages, which have already become twice as expensive as compared to last year, will become further dearer.

The government should determine the prices of sugar in the market and not give a free hand to the greedy private sector; otherwise, the masses will continue to suffer while the government will lose billions in taxes, he demanded. The government should take practical steps instead of issuing warnings to save people from this new problem.

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