ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said the historic tax collection has enabled the government to reduce petrol price by Rs10 and electricity per unit by Rs5 when petroleum prices are skyrocketing world over following Russia-Ukraine war.

Addressing the launching of Ehsaas Riayat Ration programme designed to provide 20 million families 30 percent discount on flour, ghee/oil, and pulse from general stores or the Utility Stores Corporation, the prime minister said that petrol and diesel in Pakistan is cheaper than in Dubai. Petrol in Pakistan is cheaper even from the UAE and Dubai. Under the programme, Rs22 per kg subsidy would be provided on flour, Rs55 per kg on pulses, and Rs105 per kg on ghee.

Oil for which federal and provincial government would provide Rs106 billion subsidy.

He said that as the tax would increase, the government would provide relief to the low-income group.

Ehsaas Ration Programme: Registration process to be completed by next month, says Sania

He said that Ehsaas Ration Programme is being launched to mitigate the impact of inflation on the low-income group 20 million families by providing atta, ghee, and pulses at discounted rates.

This would reduce their burden, adding that inflation or dearness is a a global phenomenon.

He appreciated Dr Sania Nishtar and her team for developing Ehsaas Ration Programme and stated that the scheme is a huge project, which is a roadmap towards the “State of Medina”.

While referring to the Ehsaas program, the premier said that the reason for Pakistan being in the top three countries who have protected the people during the corona pandemic and managed the corona in a better way as reported by Economist Survey was primarily because of the Ehsaas program.

The World Bank also praised the project.

The prime minister said that under this project, 98 percent of the money is provided to women because the country cannot develop unless female are provided education.

A literate mother can lift the whole family, he added.

The premier also mentioned that there are a large number of children out of school and under the Ehsaas programme, more scholarships and stipend are provided to the girls.

The prime minister said that the government focus is on dealing with the problem of stunting and in this regard first, a pilot project was implemented and now it would be started in every district.

He said that every family across the country other than Sindh would get health card by the end of this month.

This is important because many people cannot get treatment due to poverty, he added. The prime minister said that even the richest countries do not have such free health insurance.

The prime minister said that a doctor from the hospital called and congratulated him for the first time that a heart transplant had been performed on a health card in the hospital.

Earlier, Dr Sania Nishtar also addressed the ceremony and stated that influence of personalities and departments in such programme has been reduced and far-reaching reforms have been done.

She further stated that Ehsaas is a policy tool to bring about change in society. She said that Ehsaas is a policy tool for human capital and there are one crore 80 lac children are out of school and in some districts its percentage is alarmingly high and in Badin this percentage is 82 percent. This programme is a policy tool to bring these children back to the school.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022