Theme/Relevant Ministry:

AGRICULTRE POLICY/ SUGAR:
Federal Cabinet; Provincial Cabinet; M/o Finance; CCP

Project Brief:

This paper adopts a multidisciplinary approach to analyse the law governing the sugar industry in Pakistan and its implications. Focusing on the current market operation within Pakistan, the paper critically contrasts this with models implemented within different jurisdictions for the effective market operation of their respective sugar industries. It further highlights the inefficaciousness and longstanding practices of the market players, how these are supported by existing legal structures, and the way they undermine competition. Faced with the apparent lack of success of the allegedly stringent legislative regulation of the sugar industry, this paper focuses on unveiling the adverse implications of these rules and regulations and analyse a more viable model for effective market operation. The paper’s objective is to chart the evolution of the sugar business prior to and after the Indian subcontinent’s partition. It examines the repertoire of laws enacted to regulate the sugar industry’s operations from 1932 until 2021, andany legal proceedings and actions undertaken thereunder.Informants actively involved in the business and directly affected by the rules and regulations were interviewed to further explore and acquire of the sector’s operation. Regulatory models of Australia, India, and the Philippines were alsoexaminedto ascertain and propose anoptimal regulatory model for Pakistan.

Public Policy Relevance:

This study unveils adverse implications of the overregulation employed for the governance of the sugar industry by analyzing the law and exploring a more viable model for efficacious market operations.

Unedited Working Paper and Policy Brief prepared for the Second RASTA Conference can be downloaded from the link: https://pide.org.pk/rasta/2nd-rasta-conference/