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Growers want fresh tenders floated for sugar
mills
HYDERABAD (April 15 2004): Growers organizations
expressed strong reservations over the proposed
privatization of Thatta and Dadu Sugar Mills,
having assets of around Rs 1.3 billions, at
through-away prices and demanded that fresh
tenders may be floated to attract genuine buyers.
According to sources the highest bid offered by
the interested parties is reported to be Rs 150
million for Dadu Sugar Mills and Rs 50 million for
Thatta Sugar Mills.
They said it seem that the bid was offered by the
cartel of scrap dealers who are interested in the
valuable lands of the mills and their machinery
which later could be sold in scrap instead of
running the sugar mills.
They said that the bid offered for Dadu Sugar
Mills, which is in running condition is Rs 150
million whereas it is defaulting payment to
growers for their produce to the tune of Rs 7.27
millions and if 18 percent mark-up was included,
the defaulted amount would further increase.
The closure of mills would defeat the economic
purpose as over 1,050 workers including skilled
workers would be rendered jobless and around
50,000 families would suffer.
The Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Information
and Archives, Salahuddin Haider who along with
provincial Adviser for Public Affairs Manzoor
Hussain visited the mills to distribute cheques of
two-month salaries to the employees of the Dadu
Sugar Mill told reporters that the mills machinery
was in perfect running condition and the trained
and skilled staff is available but unfortunately
the mill was running in losses due to financial
mismanagement, inept administration and hostile
attitude towards the workforce.
Haider said countries having strong economies are
paying full attentions towards the welfare of
their workforce knowing well that willing workers
will help achieve the objective of real progress.
He said the privatization commission must weighed
all aspects of the privatization of the mills
including the interest of workforce and economic
conditions of the area otherwise it would be an
exercise in futile as it will not serve any
purpose.
Haider urged upon the Sindh privatization
committee to take up the matter with the federal
government and convince it that instead of
disposing off provincial assets in scandalous
form, it would be better if the mills were made
functional again by public sector or private
sector.
He agreed with the mill workers that they should
either be offered golden handshake if the
privatization was imperative or it should be made
obligatory upon buyers to retain them in service
for a period of one year.
The Sindh cane commissioner when contacted said
that to run sugar mills, an entrepreneur fully
acquainted with sugar production and trade is
needed to make mills production economically
viable and added that is only possible by
developing by-products.
Courtesy Business Recorder
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Pakissan.com; Advisory Point
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