Vigilance, discipline: Ensure supply of goods at Ramazan Bazaars, says Shahbaz

CM visits Ramazan Bazaar in Township, interacts with public

LAHORE:

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Friday no compromise would be made on the prices and quality of commodities being sold at Ramazan Bazaars.

“Apart from Ramazan Bazaars, overcharging will not be tolerated in the open market,” the chief minister said during an unannounced visit to a Ramazan Bazaar in Township. He said he was satisfied with the rates and quality of fruits and vegetables at the bazaar. He said the buyers he had met at the market were happy with the arrangements made by the government.

The chief minister was informed that the price of chicken at the bazaar was Rs15 a kilogramme less than the open market price; flour, sugar, fruits, vegetables and pulses had been priced Rs4 to Rs10 less than the market rates.

Sharif interacted with some of the customers and sought their feedback on the arrangements made for the bazaar. He went to several stalls and checked prices and quality of various commodities.

“I will continue to visit Ramazan Bazaars without prior intimation. The government’s priority is to provide some relief to people,” he said. He said it was the government’s responsibility to provide essential commodities at affordable rates.

The chief minister directed the DCO to ensure that both government and private stalls at the bazaar had ample supply of goods. “The DCO is responsible for this. No excuses will be accepted in this regard,” Sharif said.

The chief minister asked the authorities to keep record of sales and make sure that there were no shortages. Sharif said the people he had spoken to were happy with cleanliness arrangements at the bazaar.

He later visited fair-price shop. He said he was satisfied with the quality of fruits and vegetables. He ordered the market administration to make appropriate arrangements for offering prayers at the bazaar.

Tax reforms

“Improving tax-collection system is the need of the hour”, the chief minister told a meeting that reviewed the Punjab Tax Reforms Roadmap programme. He said the government would do its best to meet tax targets over the next three years.

Sharif favoured capacity building at institutions tasked with collecting taxes. “There will be no need for new taxes if we can revamp the tax-collecting system,” he said. He called for using modern tools to check tax evasion.

The chief minister said the Punjab Land Record Management and Information System would be completed soon. E-stamp papers would soon be available for the public, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 20^th, 2015.