Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Islamabad administration and provincial governments to ensure availability of essential commodities at approved rates during the month of Ramazan and those involved in hoarding and profiteering must be taken to task. While chairing a high-level meeting in connection with Ramazan 2019, the PM also directed for maintaining good quality of the edible goods and wanted establishment of price control centres at provincial level to ensure effective monitoring of prices. The Prime Minister also directed the monitoring units to monitor the reports on daily basis dispatched by the field officers.
He said the government is fully aware of problems being faced by the masses and is making every possible effort to provide relief to them. The prime minister stated that effective role of administration as well as district market committees and coordination between federal and provincial governments are important for effective monitoring of prices of essential commodities. The government will not afford hoarding and profiteering and administration must ensure immediate action against them, he said while adding that the concerned ministries have already been directed to make sure that there is no load shedding of gas and electricity. He also directed for keeping a vigilant eye on law and order.
The prime minister was informed by provincial ministers and concerned secretaries about the measures put in place and steps taken to ensure availability of edible commodities at notified rates.
The Punjab chief secretary informed the prime minister that over 300 Ramazan Bazaars are being set up in the province where essential commodities would be provided at affordable rates and over 12 commodities would be provided at wholesale prices.
The KP chief secretary informed the prime minister about the measures being taken in the province to ensure availability of edible commodities at affordable prices. The meeting was attended by Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce, adviser on finance, chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and other senior officials of federal and provincial governments.