Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday ordered the suspension of the Managing Director and General Manager Procurement of PASSCO (Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation) “for negligence and non-compliance with the PM’s instructions regarding the use of technology in the wheat procurement process”.

The development came after a high-level meeting regarding the supply and demand of wheat and the federal government’s procurement programme held in Lahore on Monday under the chairmanship of the prime minister, read a statement released by the Pakistan government.

“The loss of the farmer will not be tolerated in any case,” he was quoted as saying.

Wheat procurement: FPCCI body challenges Passco’s competence

The prime minister directed the authorities concerned to use technology to make the process of wheat procurement process efficient and transparent.

Moreover, a mobile phone application should be developed in this regard, he said.

The prime minister also instructed to conduct a third-party audit of PASSCO stock. He directed PASSCO to procure 0.4 million metric tons (MMT) of additional wheat transparently and efficiently.

PASSCO, which is a government-owned corporation in Pakistan responsible for maintaining food security in the country by ensuring the procurement, storage, and distribution of agricultural commodities, has come under hot waters in recent days amid a wheat crisis.

Last week, the Standing Committee on Agriculture of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) showed displeasure over the ‘incompetence’ of PASSCO that they have yet to start the revised wheat procurement target of 0.4MMT.

FPCCI panel chief on Agriculture, Chaudhry Ahmad Jawad said wheat farmers of Punjab are in serious trouble. The officials of PASSCO stopped the wheat procurement which is a contradiction of the Prime Minister’s directives.

He said that he tried to approach managing director (MD) Passco to apprise him of the wheat procurement but continued to be unable to meet him.