Gas price should not be increased for next few months: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday directed that the price of gas should not be increased for the next few months as he got a briefing on the prices of petroleum products in the international market.

Special Assistant for Petroleum Nadeem Babar, referring to gas prices, told the prime minister that gas prices were increased on July 1, 2019. Now, the Ogra has recommended a six to seven per cent increase in gas prices.

The prime minister called for intensifying efforts to provide all possible relief to the common man, especially the lower classes.

He chaired a meeting on reducing electricity prices and revolving loans, especially in the power sector. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a review meeting on prices of flour, sugar and other essential commodities. Federal Ministers Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Hammad Azhar, Syed Fakhr-e-Imam, Omar Ayub, Asad Umar, Special Assistants Nadeem Babar, Dr Waqar Masood, Tabish Gohar, former finance minister Shaukat Tareen, federal secretaries and other senior officers were present in the meeting.

The meeting discussed issues related to stabilization in the prices of essential commodities, especially flour, sugar, gas and petrol. The prime minister called on his economic team to ensure stability in flour prices till the government introduces a targeted subsidy scheme. He noted that a detailed programme is being introduced to provide direct subsidy on flour to the poor and the government will provide direct subsidy to the weaker sections of the society regarding the purchase of flour.

“The purpose of the government subsidy is to provide financial assistance to the weaker sections of the society so that the burden of inflation on them can be reduced as much as possible. Flour is the basic need and its reasonable price is imperative. There is a need of ensuring timely import decisions by the government and the private sector keeping in view the future needs of wheat,” he said.

A briefing was given to the prime minister on the proposed measures to bring down the price of sugar. The meeting was informed that a Ramazan Package of Rs 7 billion has been approved for the month of Ramazan.