NPMC directs for monitoring chicken, edible oil prices

ISLAMABAD: The National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) on Monday directed provincial and district administrations to proactively monitor the prices of chicken and edible oil in order to ensure smooth supply at fair prices across the country.

The NPMC meeting was held at the Finance Division to review the price trend of essential commodities especially wheat flour, eggs, chicken, sugar and edible oil during the last week.

The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Industries and Production, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security and Research, Provincial Administrations, PASSCO, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Competition Commission of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue and senior officers of the Finance Division.

Secretary Ministry of Finance briefed NPMC about weekly SPI that increased by 0.5 percent, according to press statement issued by the Finance Ministry.

The committee observed decline in prices of wheat, sugar, tomatoes, onion, eggs and potatoes during the week.

The chief secretaries from respective provincial governments updated NPMC about availability of sufficient stocks of wheat and average per day release by the provinces which was stable throughout the country.

The NPMC also directed Secretary Food, Balochistan and MD, PASSCO to make an immediate arrangement for lifting 20,000MT wheat from PASSCO to ensure steady supply of wheat flour in the province.

The NPMC urged the provincial governments and departments concerned for making consolidated and coordinated efforts to avoid hoarding, black marketing and smuggling to ensure uninterrupted supply of basic commodities at affordable prices across the country.