Ramazan bazaars: ‘Talks under way to provide foodstuff at cut-price’

Punjab CM says provincial government will spend Rs3.5b on subsidising wheat flour during Ramazan

LAHORE:

Negotiations are underway with manufacturers’ and traders’ associations to ensure availability of daily-use items in Ramazan Bazaars at subsidised rates, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Monday.

He was addressing a meeting to review implementation of the provincial government’s ramazan package. He said the items for which consultation was underway included vegetable oil/ghee, sugar, chicken, and eggs.

The bazaars would feature 333 fair price shops where fruits and vegetables would be available at subsidised rates.

He said the provincial government would spend Rs3.5 billion on subsidising wheat flour during Ramazan.

He said the cabinet committee had been directed to hold daily meetings to review arrangements at the bazaars. He said the monitoring system also involved a third-party audit of the team responsible for the day to day monitoring of prices.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2015.