There was no shortage of subsidised items in the Sindh and Balochistan Utility Stores, said Zonal Manager, Masood Alam Niazi. Niazi, who is heads the utility stores of the two provinces - Sindh and Balochistan, was talking exclusively to the Daily Business Recorder here on Sunday.
He said that sufficient stock of subsidised items are available at all utility stores, adding that, the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) was playing the main role in fighting rising inflation.
Niazi said when Prime Minister's subsidised price scheme on pulses was announced in the budget 2007, the USC implemented the same day the new revised rates at all its outlets.
Niazi answered many questions of the people, which were collected from various USC outlets, regarding non-availability of stocks, substandard items and bulk supply of subsidised items to shopkeepers.
The zonal manager rejected the allegation and said there was no question about standard because the USC was not a manufacturing company. "We bought commodities from the open market and imported items through Trading Corporation of Pakistan."
"Pulses were directly arranged from Hyderabad and the quality of pulses was unquestionable," he added. He stated that not a single written complaint regarding quality was received.
About the availability of subsidised items, he said that many fictitious customers, like shopkeepers, were creating rumours that there was non-availability of, particularly, sugar.
Sugar price at the USC is at least 10 rupees less than the open market.
He said one bag of two kilos sugar was allowed to a customer and there was no condition applied to buy other things along with the 2-kg bag.
But he urged people to discourage profiteers and buy other things from the outlets. Because fictitious customers only visit the USCs to buy those things which have big margin from the open market.
Niazi informed that only in Karachi 96 units of USC were operational. In 96 units there were 45 regular stores and 51 were mobile centres.
The mobile centres carry subsidised items to far-flung areas of the city.
When asked about how the USC covers the large population of Karachi? As the USC does not have sufficient number of stores to provide these facility.
He said in all 18 towns of the city there were at least two utility stores for each town. And where stores were not available the USC made its best to provide necessary items through mobile centres.
About expansion plans he said there were number of stores in the pipeline and very soon in Sindh and Balochistan many more stores would be opened.
He said the management had decided that the distribution center, which supplied the stock to utility stores, would be opened after every 100km. So people who could not benefit from the scheme would be able to get subsidised items. About distribution centres in Balochistan, he said, "in past we provided stocks to Balochistan and other areas from Quetta and Karachi. But we are making efforts to open up distribution centers in the province."
About the supply of items to Balochistan he said,"we had mobilised vans or mobile centres to cater to the need of the people."
He said there were a number of mobile centers other than Quetta. "We have mobile centres at Degari, Aghbarg, Spizend, Dusht Kuchlak, Kolpure, Chaman, Loralai, Noshki and etc."
About utility stores at Dera Bugti, he said there was a mobile centre in the past but due to disturbances the USC had suspended the operation, whenever normalcy returns to the area the store/centre would start work again.
He said private companies or individuals invited to open up utility stores on franchise basis. The franchise stores were the part of presidential employment scheme, he added.
He said the USC would monitor these franchise stores to level the price mechanism within the USC.
Returning to prices complains levelled at the utility stores Niazi said vendors or suppliers provide the USC at rate between wholesale and retail one.
The prices always are higher than wholesale one, so original customers would be attracted to shop there rather than shopkeepers, he added.
He said to prevent overcharging at the stores there were inspection teams made at all regional, zonal and federal level. They would check the transparency of USC provided rates.
He said there was about 200,000 kilos of sugar supplied to the city on a daily basis. There is sufficient stock available for all stores at anytime.
He urged people not to panic while making purchases as there was no shortage of subsidised items. He also urged that people should make logical complains. Quoting an example he said, "one complain received that a store in charge selling four packets of 2-kg sugar to a customer when asked did the customer purchase other things the complainant said yes."
He said, if a person buys full month's items then eight kilos of sugar could be sold to the person.
"To curb the bulk buying of sugar we had instructed the store incharges to sell only one packet of sugar, if someone insist for more then the incharge would ask them to buy other things," he said.
He informed that a pilot project of meat sale point had been started in Lahore if the project succeedes then it would also be launched in Karachi and Islamabad.