Utility Stores not to be shut, Senate told

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain has said the government is not closing down the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) and that there is no threat to its regular and contractual employees.

"The government is only closing non-profitable USC stores which were established at needless locations," Hussain told the upper house on Friday.

The minister, however, admitted that there are proposals under consideration to restructure, privatize or run the affairs of the USC on a public-private partnership basis "with the consultation of allied parties".

He said the government provides a subsidy of Rs50 billion to the USC to facilitate the public to provide cheaper daily used items.

Last year the government had provided an amount of Rs17 billion to the USC under the Ramazan relief package. However, he said, the amount was not used properly to facilitate the people.

He said the federal government has now increased the Ramazan package to Rs20 billion this year.

Hussain claimed that the country is moving in

the right direction "under the dynamic leadership" of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

"Pakistan's position has been strengthened at the global level and the trust of international financial institutions and big powers shows that the economic policies of the government are correct," he said.

A report published in The Express Tribune on February 16 revealed that the government had decided to lay off daily wage employees of the USC as part of its "rightsizing" policy

The move, which will affect an estimated 2,500 to 2,600 workers, was approved earlier by the USC board of directors.

According to sources, directives for terminating employees had already been issued by the respective zonal offices, signalling the start of the downsizing process.

The layoffs are in line with the government's broader policy of rationalising the workforce and reducing expenses. The decision comes as part of ongoing restructuring efforts within the USC, which has been under financial strain.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law Azam Nazeer Tarar told the house that peaceful protest is a fundamental right of every citizen but it must take place within the parameters set by the law.

The minister was responding to the concerns raised by Senator Sherry Rehman with regard to use of force against protesting government employees.

Tarar said disruptions were caused by protesters at the Pakistan Secretariat, a crucial institution that serves citizens from all regions of the country, including the remote areas of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh, and Punjab.

He said such disturbances impede the delivery of public services. The secretariat, he said, should not be held hostage by these actions.

The minister also mentioned that the prime minister had instructed relevant officials to hold talks with the protesters to address their concerns and find resolutions.

"The finance minister is actively involved in negotiations with the protesting employees, and the government is committed to meeting their legitimate demands," he said.

Tarar noted that the PM has assured that any employees offered early retirement or placed in the surplus pool will have their rights fully protected.