Cabinet voices concern over lack of reliable data

Prime Minister Imran Khan, in a meeting held last week, grilled different ministries over delay in wheat import and fudged data of wheat shortage.

Sources told The Express Tribune that during discussion, the prime minister pointed to his directives to the National Food Security and Research Division in April 2020 to plan for wheat import in an attempt to meet its shortfall.

The premier stressed that the matter was repeatedly followed in June and July but it was not until September 2020 that the first wheat shipment of private sector arrived, which was too little, too late to avert the crisis.

The prime minister underlined the need for wheat purchase by the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) in July 2020, but unfortunately that too was delayed till October 2020.

Expressing concern over the mechanism to assess the commodity shortfall, cabinet members asked about the quantum drawn from carry-forward stocks between 2018-19 and 2019-20. The rationale for allowing wheat export when the country was facing a shortfall was also questioned.

Speaking about the last export permission granted in December 2019, the National Food Security Division failed to give satisfactory reasons for a substantial depletion of carry-forward stocks.

Cabinet members noted that the main reasons were capacity constraints to the collection of reliable data as well as slow and risk-averse decision-making. They emphasised that responsibility for the lapses must be fixed.

The prime minister stated that he would chair meetings to deliberate on ways of improving statistical data reporting for better assessment and enhanced coordination among provinces in order to implement a uniform policy.

It was pointed out that the mandate for price control rested with the Adviser to PM on finance. A view was also expressed that provincial governments had a high stake and responsibility for the overall process as they kept the stock and released it to four mills.

Earlier, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) noted that the failure of government agencies to come up with authentic data had led to expensive wheat import deals. There was discrepancy in data and figures of government agencies related to the expected wheat shortfall and that restricted proper planning for commodity import.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2020.

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