The United Sugar Company has insisted that it is reducing sugar prices by 19 percent to match 2011 global sugar price cuts. It follows claims by the President of the Consumer Protection Association (CPA), Dr. Nasser Al-Tweam that the company hasn't responded to the global decrease in sugar prices. On Tuesday, the United Sugar Company announced a cut in sugar prices for 50-kg bags, from SR185 to SR150. However, when reporters of Al-Watan newspaper visited some shops, it found that the price of a 2-kg sugar bag still ranged between SR8.95-SR10.5, while the 5-kg bag ranged from SR20-SR22.5 and the 10-kg bag from SR42-SR44.95. The CPA President, Dr. Al-Tweam, has now called upon all merchants to lower sugar prices in the local market. He has also promised to set up a Center of Quality Control and Prices in the next six months that will control food price differences all over the Kingdom. “The CPA will conduct studies about food prices and compare local prices with global ones and send field teams to do this task. It will also contact the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to stop hikes in prices,” Al-Tweam said.
