After years of losses, discussions have resumed on reopening state-run sugar mills under joint management. Despite a consortium being formed in 2019, political interference caused Japan, Thailand, and UAE investors to withdraw. A comprehensive feasibility study was completed in 2021, and a committee was formed under the then-additional secretary of the Ministry of Industry to review partnership terms. While investors proposed a fully state-owned model, the government opted for a joint ownership structure. Amid political shifts, investors have now expressed renewed interest through official communications.