USC resumes sugar sales at Rs65 per kg

ISLAMABAD: The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has resumed the sale of sugar at all its stores across the country at the subsidised rate of Rs65 per kilo.

USC Managing Director Waseem Mukhtar Khawaja informed the Senate Standing Committee on Industries on Thursday that the USC had procured 6,000 tons of sugar, which was now available at its outlets across the country. He said more sugar would be procured in the upcoming sugarcane crushing season.

He said the sugar was being sold at Rs75 per kilo in the open market, while the consumers could get subsidised sugar from utility stores. “It was not available at the utility stores for the last several months.”  Currently the USC was providing subsidy on four items, including sugar, cooking oil, ghee, wheat flour, and pulses, he added.

Senator Kulsoom Perveen said that the basic purpose of utility stores was to provide the poor with standard commodities on subsidised rates; “therefore the USC should raise the number of commodities in the list of subsidised items.”

Chairman of the committee, Senator Hidayatullah, however was satisfied with the working of the USC management during recent months. “The committee hopes the USC’s standard will further improve in the coming months.”  He directed the USC management to expedite the computerisation process of all stores to minimise the embezzlements and mismanagement.

USC MD informed the committee that negotiations with a company were underway to computerise the head office, all nine zone offices, 65 regional offices and warehouses, and 1,000 stores.