Govt to set up 50,000 more utility stores across country

Decision aims at ensuring provision of quality food items at controlled rates

ISLAMABAD:

Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed on Friday informed the National Assembly that the government had started the work on setting up 50,000 more utility stores aimed at ensuring provision of quality food items at controlled rates across the country.

“As per the government announcement about establishing 50,000 more utilities across the country, the work has started on it,” he said during a question-hour session while responding to a query of MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali.

He said under the Kamyab Jawan Programme, youth would be encouraged to implement their workable business plans so that they could be able to open their own stores. “The government will help and finance them [youth] in starting their business.”

Answering a question, Parliamentary Secretary for Finance and Revenue Makhdoom Zain Hussain Qureshi said the prime minister and his economic team are regularly monitoring the price movement of common use items in consultation with provincial governments.

The government, he said, is taking all necessary measures to control unnecessary increase in the prices of edibles and common use items for protecting the common man from any undue inflationary pressure.

Qureshi aslo said a monitoring cell at the Ministry of National Food Security is monitoring price hikes of essential food items on daily basis.

The PTI government is expanding the network of Sasta Bazaars and utility store outlets for provision of smooth supply of daily use items, he said, adding that effective measures are being taken to prevent cartelisation and undue profit.

“The National Price Monitoring Committee is regularly monitoring the prices and supply of essential items in consultation of federal ministries and provincial governments,” he added.

The parliamentary secretary said Consumer Price Index inflation had declined from 14.6 per cent in January to 8.6 per cent in the month of June due to pro-active policy and administrative measures of the government.