Hammad announces Rs7.8bn ‘Ramadan Package’ through USC

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Industries and Production Muhammad Hammad Azhar Tuesday, while announcing Rs7.8 billion Ramadan Package through Utility Stores Corporation (USC), said the government would ensure quality and provision of quantity of commodities for the masses relief.

The government has decided to provide subsidy on the 19 major commodities including food and beverages, he said this while addressing a press conference along with the Federal Minster for Science and Technology Fawad Hussain Chaudhry here.

He said in a meeting, the federal cabinet has decided to provide subsidy on flour, sugar, pulses , basin, ghee, dates and cooking oil on following per kg rates Rs30.50 , Rs 40, Rs 10-15, Rs 20 , Rs 45 , Rs 20 and Rs 20 respectively.

The minister said in previous governments, Ramadan packages and subsidies were provided only on five items, but the incumbent government has provided on 19 items of daily use.

He said in the current fiscal year, the USC sales has reached to Rs100 billion from Rs10 billion annual sale of earlier years, which is showing an upward trend in the Corporation.

The minister said prices of food and beverages are mainly related to provinces so that they should devise a comprehensive strategy to provide relief to the commoners on daily use items in Ramadan.

He said the government has decided to start automation in the USC to ensure transparency and accountability following the international standards for enhancing capacity of the corporation.

He said the government should ensure the demand and supply of daily use items at the utility stores on economic rates.

Briefing to the media on the current economic situation of the country, he said in this season of Rabi, Urea fertilizer sales have increased highest in the last 10 years.

He informed that the government has not imported Urea during the last year to meet the necessity of local farmers and decided to increase the supply through starting new manufacturing plants in the country.

The minister said in last January 'Larger Scale Manufacturing' growth increased by 9.1 percent and from July to January of the current fiscal year, average growth has increased by 7.8 percent.

He said overall country’s economy remained in the right direction as current account deficit is now in surplus and dollar has remained at Rs156.

Hammad said the International Monetary Fund programme has also revived and new avenues for country’s exports have opened for exporters to provide competitiveness to the local trade items in the international market.