PM ups Ramzan relief package by Rs5b

Amid the people reeling under the pressure of the spiralling inflation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has increased the Ramazan relief package by Rs5 billion – taking it to Rs12.5 billion from Rs7.5 billion, a statement issued by the PM’s Media Wing Office on Sunday read.

According to the statement, the premier has also ordered to enhance its outreach in the country to facilitate the people during the holy month.

Along with utility stores and the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), mobile units will also provide food items at comparatively lower prices.

PM Shehbaz has directed the authorities concerned that the Ramazan relief package should be delivered to as many poor, indigent and deserving people as possible.

Initially, 1,200 mobile points and 300 permanent package relief centres are being established.
Throughout the holy month of Ramazan, food items will be provided at prices lower than those in the normal market under the relief package.

Apart from the designated places, trucks will also deliver food items at subsided rate to the poor people in different areas using GPS. A special video will also be released to guide the use of the mobile app.
A digital technology powered dashboard is being developed to monitor mobile flour sales.
The supply of flour will continue during the transfer of mobile units from one location to another.
Flour distribution will be continuously monitored by mobile and live footage.

On March 7, PM Shehbaz had announced a Rs7.5 billion Ramazan relief package.
A total of 39.6 million people would be provided food items during Ramazan at prices reduced by 30%.
Under the BISP, various food items including flour, rice, lentils, ghee, sugar, syrup and milk would be sold at cheaper rates.

The subsidy on flour would be Rs77 per kg and on ghee Rs100 per kg.

Last year, the caretaker government had allocated around Rs5 billion for the Ramazan relief package that was available to both targeted and general consumers.

An amount of Rs1.15 billion was allocated for subsidies to targeted consumers — those registered with the BISP. Meanwhile, a sum of Rs3.84 billion was reserved for providing essential goods at discounted rates to the general consumers.

The subsidy was available on selected goods including vegetables, ghee, tea, flour, sugar, milk, beverages, dates and gram flour at utility stores across the country.

The number of subsidised items was increased to 19 including flour, ghee, sugar, cooking oil, tea, dates, dal maash, dal moong, milk, drinks, and spices.

To targeted consumers, a 10-kg bag of flour was available at Rs400, sugar at Rs70 per kg, and ghee at Rs300 per kg. The general consumers could buy a 10-kg bag of flour for Rs648, sugar for Rs91 per kg and ghee for Rs490 per kg.