Flour, sugar, price hike termed ‘drone strike’

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has likened the decision of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to increase prices of essential food items at the state-run Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets to a drone attack on the people.

It said that the decision to increase the price of wheat, sugar and flour at utility stores is a strike on the people.

"The decision to increase the price of ghee by Rs90, sugar by Rs17 and 20kg flour by Rs150 at the public sector USC outlets should be withdrawn," said Sindh Agriculture Minister Ismail Rahu.

He further demanded in his statement that the federal government provide subsidies on food items to the Utility Stores Corporation. Rahu said that the government had increased petrol prices three times in 30 days, dropping another inflation bomb on the people 24 hours after raising petrol prices.

'The utility relief package of the federal government is a distress package for the people. Despite the subsidy of Rs50 billion for the Utlity Stores Corporation (USC), the federal governemnt increased the rates of essentials.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2021.