Subsidy on selected items under Ramazan package

Prices of items were recently revised

ISLAMABAD:

Citizens in Ramazan will be ‘coaxed’ into buying subsidised items under what many described as a “sleight-of-hand” policy whereby selected items will be sold at a lesser price – after they were recently made dearer recently.

Under the Ramazan Relief Package, people will be provided subsidies on items that became had gone expensive recently.

According to Utility Stores sources, Rs25 subsidy will be given on ghee despite a hike of Rs190 per kg, Rs11 subsidy will be given on sugar after a price hike of Rs19 per kg, and Rs27.12 subsidy will be given on flour after a price hike of Rs24.80 per kg.

It is worth noting here that the prices were not raised for the beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

This year, subsidies on sugar and flour have been slashed under the Ramadan package. In total, the subsidy has been cut by Rs3.1 billion.

The reduction in sugar subsidy amounts to Rs327 million while the subsidy on flour has been reduced by Rs350 million.

BISP beneficiaries will get a subsidy of Rs100 on ghee, Rs30 on sugar and Rs51.92 on flour.