Provision of essential items at fair prices govt's top priority: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said it was top priority of the government to ensure provision of flour, sugar and other essential items at fair prices.

The prime minister was chairing a meeting regarding the prices of essential items.

He received a detailed briefing about the production and consumption of wheat.

The participants of the meeting were told about the strategy to meet the wheat demand and on ways to keep control on the prices of wheat and flour.

Minister for Industries Hammad Azhar briefed the prime minister about the production and prices of sugar.

According to the prime minister's instructions, different suggestions were considered to bring down the prices of edible oil, and petroleum and gas products.

The chief secretaries briefed about the arrangements regarding the supply of flour to the people at lower prices at Ramzan bazaars.

The prime minister directed that the prices of basic food items should not increase, and that learning from the past about the wheat demand, arrangements in advance should be ensured.

He also instructed the government’s economic team to look for measures to give relief to the people on edible oil, petroleum products and other items.

Relief should be given to the people by reducing burden of taxes to the possible extent, he added.

Imran Khan said indirect taxes mostly burdened the poor people and out of box solutions should be suggested to lessen the burden while not affecting the revenue of state.

The meeting was attended by federal ministers Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Hammad Azhar, Syed Fakhar Imam and Asad Umar, Adviser to the PM Dr Ishrat Hussain, special assistants Nadeem Baber, Dr Waqar Masood and Tabish Gohar, Punjab Minister for Food Abdul Aleem Khan and secretaries of different ministries. Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht and chief secretaries of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa joined the meeting through video link.