'Wheat must be available in Ramazan’

Ahsan directed provinces to monitor prices, output and supply

ISLAMABAD:

The National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Thursday reviewed the price of essential commodities, and directed the Ministry of National Food Security and provincial governments to ensure inter-provincial coordination in order to avoid any shortage of daily commodities – particularly wheat – before the month of Ramzan.

“The Ministry of Food Security is responsible for inter-provincial coordination in order to avoid any shortage of wheat before Ramzan,” said Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal.

The food secretaries of all the provinces were directed to hold a meeting with the Ministry of Food immediately to review the progress of wheat across the country and to ensure its smooth production and supply, said the minister.

PBS officials gave a presentation on their monitoring of price and inflation while representatives from Punjab, K-P, Sindh and Balochistan apprised the forum about the current production and supply of wheat and sugar.

The minister expressed concern over the increased price of essential commodities in Islamabad and directed the chief commissioner to control the prices.