PM directs check on prices of essential items, availability

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday directed close monitoring of the prices of essential commodities and their availability during the holy month of Ramazan so that the poor faced no difficulty.

He was chairing a high-level meeting on availability and prices of essential commodities in view of Ramazan. Federal ministers Muhammad Hammad Azhar, Syed Fakhar Imam, Umar Ayub Khan, Special Assistants Dr Sania Nishtar and Dr Shahbaz Gill, secretaries of ministries concerned, chairman FBR, chief commissioner Islamabad and MD Utility Stores Corporation attended the meeting.

Imran directed that legal action against the profiteers and hoarders should continue during the holy month and implementation of corona SOPs be ensured in the Ramazan bazaars. MD Utility Story Corporation told the meeting that a 20kg bag of flour was available at Rs800, sugar at Rs68 per kg and ghee at Rs170 per kg at the utility stores across the country. The meeting was informed that at present 2,600 ton flour, 2,000 ton sugar and 1,200 ton ghee was being sold daily at the utility stores.

The chief commissioner Islamabad informed the meeting that Sasta bazaars had been set up at various places in Islamabad where all essential commodities were available at low prices. He said essential items will also be available to the residents through the mobile vans in view of the corona epidemic.

The chief secretaries of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa informed the meeting that abundant availability of sugar and flour at fixed rates would be ensured. Energy Minister Omar Ayub Khan said there would be no unannounced loadshedding during Sehri and Iftar.