No shortage of sugar at USC outlets

There is no shortage of sugar at Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets and was available at Rs38 per kilogram to the customers across the country.
"We have also implemented the Ramazan package announced by the government and it has been implemented from August 21 across the country under which over 800 items including flour, sugar and other essential food and other items are available for the customers on the subsidise rate upto 15 percent less than the markets rates", Wajid Swati General Manager and spokesman USC told APP here.
He said that under the directives of the federal government and Minister for Industries and Production, Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo all the regional, zonal and local managers of the USC have been already given directives to implement the Ramazan package at all the outlets of the corporation in its latter and spirit for provision of relief to the people specially the common man in the holy month of Ramazan.
"We have established monitoring teams and the Managing Director of the USC Muhammad Arif Khan is also conducting surprise visits to the various outlets to ensure the implementation of the Ramazan package and qualityy of the items", he remarked. Replying to a question, he said that there was no requirement of producing national identity card to the customers before purchasing sugar or flour at the stores.
"There is also no requirement for the customers for purchasing of other commodities to get sugar at the stores", he clarified. He added that sugar is available at Rs38 per KG while 20-kg flour bag and one-Kg oil/ghee is available for the customers at Rs510 and Rs91 respectively at the stores. Wajid Wasti said that government has enhanced quota of sugar to USC from 70,000 tons to 100,000.
He said that all items are available in sufficient quantity at 5,700 country wide outlets of the corporation to provide kitchen and other items on subsidise rates.
Most items used during Ramazan like besan (grained grams), pulses, dates and soft drinks are available on controlled rate at these outlets, he added. Swati said that a basket of goods costing Rs 4,500 in open market is available at a cost of Rs 32,00 in all USC outlets across the country, which shows significant difference of prices in open market and USC. He said the federal government was providing Rs 3 billion subsidy during the month of Ramazan as "Ramazan package" to the people.
Sugar was available at Rs 38 per kg, while qualitative rice and pulses of different varieties were also available Rs 5-10 cheaper than open market. In charge, Utility store, Aabpara, Sector G 6/1 Chan Zeb, told APP that essential commodities are being sold to purchasers at reduced prices at all the utility stores scattered across Islamabad, and hence citizens are coming to these stores which have been set up by the government to provide relief to the common man especially during the month of Ramazan.
Sugar which is being sold in open market at Rs55 per kilo while it is available to consumers at utility stores at Rs38 per kilo. Ghee is being sold at Rs91 per kilo at these stores, the price of the commodity in the market has gone up to Rs115 per Kg.
Similarly Basmati Rice is costing buyers Rs59 per kilo at utility stores less than the market prices which range between Rs75 and Rs90 per Kg. Abul Kazim Incharge main Aabpara market said that there was no compulsion of producing national identity card for the purchase of sugar from his store. He added that his store under the directives of the government has implemented Ramazan package from August 20.
The customers at the stores Afridi Khan, Aaamir Zahoor Gukll Muhammad Mushammad Rafiq, Muhammad Nawaz and Yawar Abbas told APP that got sugar at Rs38 Kg, 20-Kg flour bag at Rs510 and Ghee at Rs91 per Kg. They appreciated the government for providing the essential food items at subsidise rates at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC).