Asim Ghani Usman Elected Unopposed as PSMA Chairman; Association Demands Immediate Deregulation

Asim Ghani Usman elected Chairman, and Muhammad Rafique named Senior Vice Chairman of Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) for 2026.

• Deregulation Push: PSMA forms a 5 to 6-member committee to submit deregulation proposals to the government.
• Tax Reduction Demand: Industry calls for lowering Sales Tax from 18% and complete deregulation before the upcoming crushing season.
• Agricultural Growth: PSMA emphasizes that deregulation will foster sugarcane seed research, benefiting local farmers.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) announced the results of its annual elections during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) 2026. According to the election results, Asim Ghani Usman was elected unopposed as Chairman of PSMA, while Muhammad Rafique was elected Senior Vice Chairman.

Additionally, Aslam Farooq and Khan Muhammad Ashraf were elected unopposed as Chairmen for the South Zone and North Zone, respectively.

Executive Committee Members Announced

According to the PSMA spokesperson, executive committee members were also finalized for both zones:

• South Zone: Asim Ghani Usman, Aslam Farooq, Ahmed Bawany, Dr. Tara Chand, and Zaid Zakaria.
• North Zone: Muhammad Rafique, Khan Muhammad Ashraf, Ahmed Ali Tariq, Hassan Ahmed, and Ahmad Jahangir Khan.

During the meeting, outgoing Chairman Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf presented the annual performance report and outlined the key challenges facing the sugar sector. He stated that complete deregulation of the sugar industry is the only viable solution to resolve its ongoing issues. He expressed his best wishes for the newly elected leadership and reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the new executive body.

PSMA Demands Complete Deregulation Before Crushing Season

Addressing the AGM, the newly elected Chairman Asim Ghani Usman highlighted the severe challenges confronting the sugar sector. He announced that PSMA will form a 5 to 6-member committee to draft and present formal deregulation recommendations to the government.

“Every major sector achieves sustainable growth only through deregulation. Key industries such as edible oil and rice have flourished and contributed significantly to national exports following deregulation,” Ghani noted. He added that deregulation would enable comprehensive research on sugarcane seeds, directly providing farmers with higher-yielding seed varieties.

Calls for Sales Tax Cut and Realistic Pricing

Ghani expressed concern over price scrutiny, stating that while inflation has impacted the entire nation, sugar prices are unfairly highlighted. He cautioned that unsustainable production costs are forcing sugar mills to shut down operations, which ultimately harms both mill owners and farmers.

To ensure industry survival, PSMA urged the government to take bold economic measures, including reducing the sales tax from 18% to a lower rate and fully deregulating the sugar sector prior to the start of the new crushing season.