Govt to import 0.1m tonnes of sugar to make up flood loss

Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu has said that the government has taken a decision to import 100,000 metric tonnes of sugar for uninterrupted supply of the commodity during the month of Ramadan next year, and to recover the loss of sugarcane during the recent floods in the country.
According to UNB and BSS reports, he asked the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) officials to maintain highest level of transparency while importing the daily commodity into the country.
He also called for using the profit from sugar import in the development of sugar industry.
The Minister came up with the view on Monday while addressing the inaugural programme of a conference arranged in participation with the Managing Directors of sugar mills under the BSFIC, held in the city's Dilkusha area, as the chief guest.
When speaking at the programme, Mr Amu said, "Some 30,000 people with their families and sugarcane growers are involved with the country's sugar industry. The sugar mills are playing an important role in socio-economic development."
He also asked the authorities concerned of those unprofitable sugar mills to stop recruiting manpower and providing additional allowance (overtime fees) to the staffs.
"The government has taken an initiative for the diversification of the products of many factories like Carew and Company for making the sugar industry profitable. Besides, modern machineries will be set up in all the state-owned sugar mills across the country in phases," said Amu.
He also urged the staff members and employees of the sugar mills to serve the factories with sincerity and devotion for making their factories profitable.
Among others, Additional Secretary of the Industries Ministry Sushen Chandra Das and BSFIC Chairman AKM Delwar Hossain spoke on the occasion.
Earlier, the Industries Minister handed over 10 keys of car to the Managing Directors of sugar mills.