Sugar price cap flouted nationwide, shopkeepers sell for up to Rs180/kg

• Maximum price in Karachi reaches Rs175/kg.
• Sargodha, Quetta record prices at Rs164/kg.
•  Average national price was Rs168.12/kg.
  

KARACHI: Market data shows that in spite of the government's capping the retail price of sugar at Rs164 per kilogramme, shopkeepers in various parts of the country are still selling the product far beyond the official price, flagrantly disregarding the government's orders.

In certain regions, sugar was sold for as much as Rs180 a kilogramme during the week ending April 24, 2025, according to the most recent Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI) report published by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) on Friday.

The lowest recorded pricing, Rs164 per kg, was at the official price cap, while the average national price was Rs168.12 per kg.

According to city-wise data from the PBS, sugar prices varied across the country, with the highest price recorded at Rs180 per kg in Peshawar. Other cities where sugar was selling above the government’s official cap of Rs164 per kg included Rawalpindi, where prices ranged up to Rs175 per kg, and Karachi, where the maximum price reached Rs175/kg as well.

In Lahore, prices ranged between Rs164 and Rs170 per kg, while in Hyderabad, the average price of sugar was Rs166.65 per kg. In cities like Islamabad, Gujranwala, and Sialkot, prices remained at Rs170 per kg. Meanwhile, some cities, including Sargodha and Quetta, recorded prices in line with the government’s ceiling, at Rs164 per kg.

The federal government had earlier announced the price ceiling in a bid to curb inflationary pressure on essential food items in Ramadan. In March, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said that retail sugar prices should not exceed Rs164, following a warning from the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) against price manipulation by sugar mills.