Utility Stores Corporation denies sugar smuggling to Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has rejected reports of sugar- provided to it on subsidized rates by the government- being smuggled to Afghanistan, ARY NEWS reported.

In a rebuttal issued by the USC, the corporation said that there is no truth in reports regarding the smuggling of sugar provided to them to Afghanistan.

It said that the reports highlighted that 250,000 metric tonnes of sugar are being smuggled to the neighbouring country, however, such a quantity of sugar is not available at any utility store at a time.

It is pertinent to mention here that the government is providing sugar at subsidized rates to utility stores after it imported the commodity to fulfil the national needs.

Recently, a vessel carrying 33,000 tonnes of sugar imported by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) arrived at Karachi Port Trust (KPT).

An official of the TCP said that a vessel with 33,000 metric ton of sugar docked at the outer anchorage of Port Qasim here. The vessel will be berthed on Tuesday morning and the unloading will start immediately.

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The TCP spokesperson said imported sugar will be handed over to Utility Stores Corporation.

The TCP official further stated that the shipments of sugar are taking place as per contracts awarded in view of the decision of the Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet.