Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday directed for taking action against profiteers and hoarders who are creating artificial dearness and asked Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to formulate a strategy on urgent basis to ensure stability in wheat and flour prices.

A detailed briefing was given to the Prime Minister on prices of essential commodities including wheat, ghee, pulses, tomato, potato and sugar as well as on hoarding and profiteering.

The meeting chaired by the Prime Minister reviewed the prices of essential daily used items and a briefing was given on measures taken against hoarding and profiteering.

The meeting reviewed availability and supply of wheat by Punjab and KP governments and steps taken by both the provincial governments to ensure stability in wheat prices.

The Prime Minister was informed that Punjab and KP have taken satisfactory steps to maintain adequate wheat stocks and stabilise the prices of wheat.

The Prime Minister directed to ensure availability of sufficient stock of wheat and all steps must be taken including import. The Prime Minister was informed that due to non-purchase of wheat this year, a gap between demand and supply has been created, which escalated the flour price.

The Prime Minister directed PASSCO to release 100,000 tons of wheat to Sindh government and 150,000 tons to KP government from its own stock so that flour prices in the market can be stabilized.

The Prime Minister directed all provincial governments to keep a watch on prices of essential commodities. The Prime Minister directed that provincial governments must ensure that farmers are not exploited and middlemen don't mint undue profit.

The Prime Minister directed that tehsil level price committees should be established and made fully functional. He also directed that actual prices be communicated to the consumers through use of latest technology.

The Prime Minister said that the poor and vulnerable people should be distributed flour bags under Ehsaas program. He directed Commerce Ministry to keep an eye on daily used items at Utility Stores outlets so that people could have access to them at affordable rates.

The meeting was attended by representatives of provincial governments, federal ministers and special assistants, besides others.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019