Sugar merchants yesterday urged the government not to allow sugar import through private sector which they said would hurt local sugar industry.

They demanded to import sugar only through the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) to meet the annual deficit.

Leaders of Bangladesh Wholesale Sugar Merchant

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ment appointed dealers, raised the demand at a press conference in Dhaka.

Although sugar import is now suspended, an inter-ministerial meeting last week estimated that 1.5 lakh tonnes of sugar may be needed to import this year as the current stock is almost running out.

The government allowed the private sector to import sugar in June 2002 but the import was suspended in March this year, the BWSMA leaders said.

In the meantime, private sector importers brought six to seven lakh metric tons of sugar, BWSMA General Secretary Shamsul Haque Badal told the press conference.

The current annual demand of sugar is around six lakh tonnes while 15 state-owned sugar mills produce only two lakh tonnes annually.

To meet the deficit the government imports 2.5 lakh tonnes and the rest comes through unofficial channel that destabilises the market, the association leaders alleged.

But due to sugar import through private sector the BSFIC selected dealers can hardly make any profit as the selling rate of the private importers are lower, they added.

The sugar merchants claimed that private sector import also hurts local sugar industry.

"That is why we urge the government to import sugar and supply through dealers" said BWSMA member Ali Asgar Kamal, also chairman of Moulavibazar Babosayee Samiti.

BWSMA Acting President Abdur Razzaq said if the government permits the private sector to import freely, sugar industry may be ruined.

Association leaders Anwar Kabir, Abul Hasem and Amjad Ahmed were also present at the press conference.