ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh Monday urged the provincial governments to ensure smooth supply of essential items as it is the responsibility of the government to ensure availability of the essential items to the consumers at affordable prices.

While presiding over a weekly meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC), the meeting also directed the provincial governments and the USC to reassess their import requirements for wheat and sugar and take up the matter with the Ministry of National Food accordingly, and the matter may be placed before the ECC for approval.

The adviser said that the provincial governments should workout plan to ensure smooth supply of perishable items to avoid any undue price hike, while stressing the need to take necessary administrative measures to reduce high profit margin between the wholesale and retail levels.

Hafeez Shaikh stated that it is our responsibility to ensure availability of the essential items for the consumers at affordable prices. He stressed after detail discussion with the provincial Chief Secretaries about wheat and sugar stocks in the provinces and was assured that at present, sufficient quantities are available to meet the existing demand.

Secretary National Food Security and Research made a briefing to the meeting on update on import of wheat, and stated that the Logistics Committee played a key role in resolving issues related to wheat and sugar stocks among provinces.

The Ministry of Industries and Production will take up the requirement of wheat and sugar for the USC with the PASSCO and the TCP immediately. The meeting reviewed the price trend of the essential commodities namely wheat flour, sugar, tomatoes, onions, vegetable ghee, potatoes, and chicken on a weekly basis.

The Secretary Finance told the meeting that weekly inflation measured by the sensitive price index there was an increase in the prices of 11 commodities, decline in the prices of 10 commodities and prices of 30 commodities remained stable. The government, while attributing to the PBS data, claimed that there was decline in the price of wheat flour, sugar, onions, tomatoes, and chicken.

Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar, SAPM on Revenue Dr Waqar Masood, Federal Secretary Finance, Federal Secretary National Food Security and Research, Secretary Industries and Production, Secretary Commerce, Chairman TCP, MD PASSCO, Chairperson CCP, and Manager Utility Stores Corporation also participated in the meeting. The provincial chief secretaries joined the meeting through video link.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020