Commodities of daily use: Ramazan relief package comes into effect with Rs1.7b subsidy

Utility stores will provide 19 essential commodities at subsidised rates

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Industries and Production Sardar Arshad Ahmed Leghari has said that the government will provide Rs1.73 billion in subsidy under the Ramazan relief package in an attempt to provide essential daily commodities at subsidised rates at utility stores across the country.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the state minister announced that commodities of daily use were available across the countrywide network of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) as the package came into effect from Monday (May 14).

USC Managing Director Syed Habibur Rehman Gilani, who was present on the occasion, disclosed that special monitoring teams had been formed to ensure a smooth supply of subsidised goods to all utility stores. USC has also set up a control room at its head office for the receipt of complaints from consumers.

The state minister said USC would provide 19 essential commodities at subsidised rates to facilitate middle and lower-income groups. Elaborating, he said USC would offer a subsidy of Rs4 per kg on the sale of wheat flour, Rs5 per kg on sugar, Rs15 per kg on ghee and Rs10-15 per kg on different types of pulses including moong, mash and gram.

Apart from these, a subsidy of Rs30 per kg would be provided on dates, Rs25 per kg on gram flour, Rs15 per kg on rice and Rs50 per kg on tea.

He said 50,000 tons of flour, 40,000 tons of sugar and 30,000 tons of ghee would be sold to consumers at controlled rates through USC outlets.

Under the Ramazan package, gram pulse would be sold at Rs95 per kg whereas the price of moong pulse would be Rs90 per kg. Similarly, mash pulse would be sold at Rs105 per kg, masoor pulse at Rs80 per kg, white gram at Rs140 per kg, gram flour at Rs120 per kg, dates at Rs75 for half a kg and super basmati rice at Rs110 per kg.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2018.

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