Tarin for keeping a close eye on lentil rates

ISLAMABAD: After the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) was informed about an increasing trend in the prices of pulses in the country, the Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance, Shaukat Tarin directed the Food Ministry to monitor the trend of international prices of pulses in order to avoid price hike of pulse in the country.

A weekly meeting of the NPMC was presided over by the adviser on finance, on Wednesday, to review the prices of daily and essential food items in the country with a briefing on sensitive price index (SPI) by the secretary finance for the week ending on December 9, 2021, which declined by 0.07 percent.

The secretary informed the meeting that the prices of essential commodities tomatoes, potatoes, chicken farm, sugar, wheat flour bags have registered a significant decline during the week, whereas, the price of the wheat flour bags remained consistent at Rs1,100 per 20kg following steps taken by the Punjab, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa governments, and the ICT administration.

The meeting was informed that the daily release of wheat by all the provincial governments would further ease out wheat prices at the national level.

Tarin also acknowledged the efforts of the Sindh government and stressed to ensure availability of wheat flour at government prices in Karachi and Hyderabad.

Prices of essential food items remain high in retail markets

While on sugar, the meeting was informed about decline in the price and that the arrival of new stocks in the market, would further ease the price of sugar.

The chairman Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) gave a presentation on the various options for availability of imports of edible oil on low prices during deliberation on consumption pattern of branded and unbranded edible oil.

The meeting also noted the price difference between both the categories and wanted to remove the anomalies to ensure supply of edible oil on reasonable prices.

While reviewing the production of pulses in the country, the meeting was informed that prices of pulses have shown slight increase in the week under review.

The adviser directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to monitor the movement of international prices of pulses and accordingly, plan import to avoid price hike in the country.

The NPMC also reviewed milk prices in the country and observed variations in milk prices across the country.

The adviser directed all the provincial chief secretaries to keep a check on the undue price hike of milk.

Secretary Industries and Production, secretary NFS&R, additional secretary Commerce, provincial chief secretaries, chief statistician PBS, chairman TCP, MD Utility Stores Corporation, and other senior officers participated in the meeting.

The NPMC reviewed the prices of daily commodities and essential food items in the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021