Managing Director (MD) of Mobarakganj sugar mills, the lone state owned sugar mills under Bangladesh sugar and food industries corporation (BSFIC) at Kaliganj in Jhenaidah, is hopeful enough to make his enterprises profit concern if the government considers some of the limitations of the mills, incurring heavy loss in last couple of decades.
During a conversation with the Roving Correspondent of Bangladesh Post, the chief executive officer the mills, Mosharuf Hossain said he had found away and means to make his mills profit concern when it had incurred loss for continuous 54 years except the crushing 16 crushing seasons.
MD said the MKSM was establihed in 1965 where the Stork Workspore, Netherlands has incurred loss for an Taka 97.24 in last 2019-20 season. The accumulated loss for the amount of Taka 592 crore, while, the mills had witnessed the profit for Taka 5.86 crore in 2005-06 fiscal in recent decades.MKSM sources said they had paid an amount of Taka 44 crore among the sugarcane farmers out of their dues for Taka 50 crore in the current season. They are expecting paying another Taka two crore before the Eid Ul Fitr. They will also have to pay Taka 257 crore to the banks which they had borrowed from the banks in past years to continue the mills operative.
The leaders of central bargaining agency (CBA) including its president Golam Rasul and some senior leaders have been playing roe to remove the limitations in the mills meeting the workers, employees and the officials.
The mills sources said they have been producing sugar in the mills at a cost of Taka 193.58 including bank interest which they have been selling the same at Taka 60 per kilogram among the selected consumers like Army, Police, Navy, BGB, Ansar and VDP and some preserved government sectors.
MKSM boss said although the mills have been incurring financial loss for years, the mills have been playing role in rural economy. Usually the farmers cultivate sugarcane on their plots which could be used for alternative crops round the year.
To make the state owned sugar mills a profitable ones, the MD head put some suggestions like to replace the old and aged machineries for smooth production, use quality and improved variety of canes for additional recovery of sugar among all sugar mills zone factories through Bangladesh Sugar Research Institute (BSRI) at Iswardi.
Mosharuf Hossain gave emphasis on producing distillery like Carew and Company at Darshana in Chuadanga as bi-products which will help make the production profitable every year. He said as the sugar mills have been playing role in improving the socio-economic condition of the farmers in the mills zones areas, several lakh employees and workers and officials along with their family members are dependent on the jobs, it should be shut any way. Rather, all the mills should be modernized and operated smoothly for the interest of the nation, he said.
He said the area of sugarcane farming might be increased in the mills zone areas if they could ensure payment of the farmers at a regular basis and arrange payment of the arrear dues within a short time.
MKSM CEO put suggestions to sanction salary and other benefits of the employees and officials from the revenue head of the government. Subsidy among the sugarcane farmers should be ensured through trade-gap. He believes the mills might be turned to breakeven through producing brown sugar along side distillery.
