Tarin urges provinces to lift imported sugar stock

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin asked the provinces to lift the imported sugar and supply it into the market, so as to bring down the price of the commodity.

The adviser was chairing the weekly meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Wednesday that was informed by the secretary finance that prices of sugar are easing out in Punjab subsequent to proactive measures of the government.

The adviser directed all the provinces to meet their sugar stocks by immediately lifting the imported sugar and inject it into the market in order to bring down the prices.

During the meeting which was held to review the prices of essential commodities, adviser on finance expressed concern over significant differential in the price of wheat flour in Sindh and Balochistan as compared to the other provinces. He directed the chief secretaries of Sindh and Balochistan to increase the daily releases of wheat to improve supply situation in market.

He said that the government wanted to ensure smooth supply of wheat flour across the country at government specified rate.

PM directs to bring entire sugar stock for sale in market

Tarin also maintained that the government has taken a range of administrative and policy measures and by managing supply and demand chain has been able to control the prices of essential commodities as compared to the last year.

The NPMC noted that Sastaa Sahulat Bazaars in Punjab are offering essential goods at subsidised prices.

Tarin said that the government will continue to take all possible measures to ensure smooth supply of essential commodities throughout the country.

Earlier, the secretary finance briefed the NPMC about the weekly SPI situation, which has been increased by 0.67 percent during the week under review. While reviewing the price trend of essential commodities, the Secretary Finance apprised that prices of three essential commodities registered decline, whereas, prices of 20 items remained stable.

The secretary also informed the meeting that prices of essential commodities registered decline in prices as compared to the same month of the last year. He maintained that price of the wheat flour bags remained consistent at Rs1,100 per 20kg due to the proactive measures of the Punjab government and the ICT administration.

Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Fakhar Imam, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, federal secretaries, provincial chief secretaries, chief statistician Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), chairman Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), managing director Utility Stores, and other senior officers were present.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021