ISLAMABAD – Pakistan and Tajikistan will sign commercial agreement this week for sale of 30,000 tons of refined sugar to Tajikistan at $528.25 per ton, for which Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has already inked between both countries.According to sources, Pakistan has finalized its all arrangements for the export of 30,000 refined sugar and for the purpose commercial agreement will be signed between both countries here and the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet has already allowed the sale at a price lower than the international market. Tajikistan had approached Pakistan with a request to provide 30,000 tons of white refined sugar at cheaper rates on humanitarian grounds. After negotiations, both sides agreed the rate of $528.25 per ton, $20 below the price on August 13 last month in the international commodities market and at the same day the sugar price in the world market was at $548.25 per ton.However, the ECC had taken the decision on sale at $20 per ton below the international market based on a summary that put the commodity price at $617.9 per ton in the global market, according to official documents. The agreed rate is also below the price in the domestic market, which is $535.5 per ton.This year, the country has surplus sugar and stocks stand at 3.1 million tons, of which 332,057 tons are with the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP). The government hopes that the stocks will be sufficient to meet demand until April 2013.The Ministry of Commerce pointed out that the price concession had been given in the wake of humanitarian crisis faced by the people of Tajikistan. Sugar will be exported to Tajikistan against 100 per cent secured cash letter of credit that the central Asian state will open through a first-class internationally recognised bank. The delivery will be in three lots of 10,000 tons each.