Expensive Bids Halt Sugar Import Decision

ISLAMABAD – The government of Pakistan has decided not to proceed with expensive sugar imports due to high international prices, sources confirmed.

According to officials, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) received significantly high bids in response to its tender for importing 100,000 metric tons of sugar. As a result, authorities are considering canceling the current tender altogether.

Sources revealed that the tender, scheduled to open on August 11, may not move forward if prices remain too high. TCP had earlier floated a similar tender in which four companies submitted bids, but the proposed import price reached as high as Rs 227 per kilogram – far above expectations.

Due to the situation, the government is hesitant to import sugar at a higher cost, which would ultimately burden the local market. In the new tender, the import target has been doubled from 50,000 to 100,000 metric tons, showing the urgency, but also increasing financial pressure.