ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over a meeting to review the prices of essential commodities in Islamabad on Monday, in which it was decided to further accelerate administrative measures against the hoarding of essential commodities.
The meeting discussed at length various proposals to stabilize and bring down the prices of items such as wheat flour, sugar, potato, tomato, onion, ghee, and pulses.
In the meeting, it was decided to take all necessary steps to curb the smuggling of wheat, onion, tomato and other items from the eastern and western borders. It was also decided to double the wheat procurement target in 2020 in order to bring stability in the commodity’s price
With regard to sugar, it was decided that the sugar advisory board through third party evaluation will determine its price so that a reasonable rate for the commodity could be fixed at the official level.
وزیر اعظم کی صدارت میں بنیادی اشیائے ضروریہ کی قیمتوں سے متعلق جائزہ اجلاس
وفاقی وزراء، مشیران، معاون خصوصی اطلاعات اور وفاقی سیکرٹریز کی شرکت
گندم، چینی، آلو، ٹماٹر ،پیاز، گھی اور دالوں کی قیمتوں میں استحکام لانے کا جائزہ pic.twitter.com/UY6BsALF4q— PTV News (@PTVNewsOfficial) February 17, 2020
The meeting directed the Commerce Ministry to frame a mechanism in consultations with the stakeholders in order to pass on the relief of reduction in the international prices of ghee to the masses.
Meanwhile, in his remarks at the meeting, the prime minister said that bringing stability in prices of essential commodities and reducing them to the possible level is among top priorities of the government.
The prime minister said that the government has focused its entire attention on the provision of relief to the poor people so that they could get essential commodities at reasonable prices and the burden of inflation on these segments could be reduced. He said that special attention should be given to check smuggling and hoarding.
Imran Khan directed the provincial governments to immediately review proposals regarding reducing prices so that it could be formally announced.
