ECC approves sugar import, aid to Syria on humanitarian basis: sources

ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Council (ECC) on Wednesday approved the import of 200,000 tonnes of sugar in a meeting headed by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin, ARY NEWS reported.

According to sources privy to the decisions made during the ECC meeting, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan has been tasked with importing 200,000 tonnes of sugar.

They further said that the meeting also approved an exemption on the import of drones from China to be used in tackling swarms of locusts in the country.

The ECC meeting headed by Shaukat Tarin, according to sources, has also approved aid for Syria on a humanitarian basis.

It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government has taken various measures to deal with the fluctuation in the sugar prices and besides taking legal action against the mills, it has also given tax exemptions to ensure availability of the product at a better price in the market.

The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has imposed the biggest ever fine worth on the country’s 81 sugar mills and the association for being involved in anti-competitive practices.

The spokesperson of the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) said that it was the biggest ever fine imposed on the sugar mills.

It was learned that the fine was slapped on Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and 81 sugar mills after scrutinizing the production record of the association and 55 mills. The sugar mills have been given a two-month deadline to pay the fine.