Pakistan, March 22 -- Consumers continue to pay high prices for sugar despite Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar's announcement to cap the price at Rs164 per kg. The national average price of sugar across various cities remains between Rs164 and Rs180 per kg. In Karachi, the wholesale price briefly dropped to Rs158 per kg after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's March 15 announcement. However, retailers did not pass on the price reduction, keeping prices high during the busy Ramazan period.

The government has failed to ensure consumers can purchase sugar at Rs130 per kg. According to President of the Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association, no serious action has been taken against sugar millers. He also noted that while ministers interacted wi...