Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday constituted a high-level committee to deregulate the sugar sector. The committee will put forward suggestions for reforms and privatization in the sugar sector and will present its report to the prime minister in 30 days.  The minister for energy will be the committee chairman while the Ministry of Industry and Production secretary will be its convener.  

Other members of the committee are the finance minister, minister for national food security & research, minister for economic affairs committee, special assistant to the prime minister on industries, former secretary Rana Naseem, Coordinator to the PM on agriculture and food security Ahmad Umar, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, Ministry of Commerce secretaries, FBR chairman, chief secretaries of Punjab and Sindh, Dr. Ijaz Nabi from LUMS, and LUMS ex-vice-chancellor Dr. Zahoor Hassan.  

As per the TORs of the committee, it will review all rules, regulations and policies both at the federal and provincial levels related to the sugar production, its import and export, determination of its price, subsidy and hoarding.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)