ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet on Tuesday approved an increase in the prices of sugar and ghee by Rs2 and Rs5 respectively at the Utility Stores, besides sanctioning a subsidy of Rs2 billion per month for a period of five months to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) for provision of edible items of daily-use to people at affordable rates. The raise in the prices would be notified in a few days.
According to sources, the sugar and ghee were selling at Rs68 and Rs 170 per kilogramme respectively under PM’s previous relief package. Now both commodities will sell at Rs70 and Rs175 per kilogramme. The cabinet meeting was held with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan giving a briefing to the media in Islamabad on the said package that would help ensure availability of flour, sugar, rice and pulses among other edible items at the USC outlets at reasonable rates.
The Utility Stores have been directed to sell a 20-kilogramme bag of wheat flour at Rs800, sugar at Rs70 per kg, ghee at Rs175 per kg while rice and pulses will be sold at 20 per cent reduced price, added Awan.
She announced that the USC will also issue ration cards before the holy month of Ramazan which would provide a discount of 25-30 per cent on essential items. She said the government would also devise a strategy to keep a check on prices of essential edible items. She said the government economic team ministry of commerce and other institutions including Utility Stores Corporation gave a detailed briefing to the prime minister.
The cabinet gave approval for lifting ban on import of sugar to ensure supply of the commodity. She said export of sugar had been banned and a strategy was being devised to remove regulatory duty on the commodity.
She said 4.3 million women are being given Rs2,000 monthly under Ehsaas programme. The number will reach by seventy million by end of this year. The special assistant said the PM had directed his team to devise a mechanism to reduce the prices of gas and electricity in phased manner to reduce the burden of inflation on people.
She said that under the Ehsaas Fee Support Programme, the government will provide Rs750 for male students and Rs1,000 per female students. She said under Ehsaas nutrition programme, which will be launched next month, 20,000 women will benefit from it and it will be further expanded in future.
She said under the Ehsaas Langar Khana programme, 100 more langar khanas would be established this year across the country with public private partnership.
Dr Firdous said the cabinet showed dissatisfaction over inquiry report of the committee regarding crises of wheat and sugar and further directed to submit the report with more information and recommendations within three weeks.
She said the Dr Zafar Mirza briefed the meeting about government initiatives in preventing coronavirus. She said the cabinet also ordered for preparing a comprehensive strategy to control the prices of electricity and gas along with the causes of rising prices. She said the report would also be shared with the media and general public.
Dr Firdous said ‘Ration Cards’ would be issued before the holy month of Ramazan to help the poor and deserving people to buy commodities of day-to-day use at 25 to 30 per cent cheaper rates.
Utility Stores to open 12 cash and carry stores in big cities; 50,000 youths to get loan for Youth Stores Awan said that 2,000 Youth Stores will be established under Kamyab Jawan Programme with collaboration with the Utility Stores Corporation. The USC will provide commodities to these 2,000 stores under subsidised rates. She said the number of these stores will be increased to 50,000 in next two years.
Dr Firdous said that working capital will be provided to these stores under Kamyab Jawan Programme, while four lac persons will directly and eight lac persons indirectly get jobs and business opportunities.
She said that Utility Stores Corporation will set up 12 cash and carry stores in big cities of the country which will help supply edibles to customers and stabilise prices on the basis of franchise and business to business model. She said that the USC will provide commodities to 50,000 tandoors and Dhabas on controlled rates.
Dr Firdous said that the USC under a company will establish five free zones along the border areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan where utility stores will be set up so that supply of export items can be ensured and smuggling of edibles could be stopped.
Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noorul Haq Qadri said the cabinet accorded approval to Hajj Policy 2020. He said this year the Hajj quota of intending pilgrims from Pakistan is 179,200 and efforts were being made to increase the number.
He said 60 per cent pilgrims would offer Haj through the government scheme while 40 per cent through private tour operators. He said transparency and merit would be ensured while selecting private tour operators as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
Qadri said the Haj package through government scheme is Rs490,000 for intending pilgrims of north region and Rs480,000 for those from southern region of the country.
He said the increase in Hajj package is due to surge in airline fares and depreciation of Pakistani rupee among other reasons. He said the Saudi government had levied an additional fee of 300 riyals for Hajj visa and 110 riyals for mandatory health insurance. Similarly the cost of residence has also gone up in Makkah.
The minister said last year the government reimbursed an amount of Rs5.50 billion to the pilgrims and this year efforts are being made to minimise the burden on intending pilgrims.
The minister said 22,000 Pakistanis benefited from ‘Road to Makkah’ project in Islamabad last year and this year talks are under way to extend it to Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta.