ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced on Tuesday that the government would unveil a Ramazan Relief Package this year, excluding the involvement of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to mitigate corruption and ensure distribution of high-quality goods to masses.
Last month, the federal cabinet formed a high-level committee to develop a comprehensive strategy for prompt closure of USC operations nationwide.
Traditionally, the Prime Minister’s Ramazan package is offered to the masses through Utility Stores, but the committee was also tasked to prepare a strategy for providing the Ramazan package in coordination with the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).
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The prime minister, while addressing the federal cabinet, said that with Ramazan approaching, he has directed the Ministry of National Food Security to develop a Ramzan Package excluding the role of Utility Stores to stop corruption and sale of substandard material.
“I’d asked many months ago that this cannot go on with the Utility Stores,” he said while referring to the sale of substandard products at these stores during Ramazan.
He also told the cabinet that he had received numerous complaints about implementation of Ramazan package by USC last year. Regarding the ongoing anti-polio drive, he expressed grief over the killing of a policeman deployed for the security of a polio team in Jamrud, adding that his sacrifice will not go in vain.
“We hold the polio workers in great esteem for their services and their tireless efforts to rid the country of this crippling disease,” he added.
Apprising the cabinet members of his recent visit to Quetta, he said that he had paid a visit to the security personnel who were injured during an anti-terrorism operation in Kalat. In an obvious reference to the previous government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), he regretted that the personnel of the army, police, Frontier Constabulary, and Rangers sacrificing their lives were actually “bearing the brunt of the flawed policies of a government in the past when thousands of terrorists were set free.”
Sharif also said that his government was committed to taking the country towards economic growth, citing ease in inflationary pressure.
The annual inflation claimed a decelerating trend, hitting a nine-year low at 2.4 percent year-on-year in January, mainly due to a decline in prices of perishable food products.
The headline inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), decreased to 9.6 percent in August 2024, the first single-digit figure in more than three years, and the path of slowing down continued in the following months. However, a rising trend was witnessed in the prices of sugar, vegetables and edible oils in the domestic market despite declining prices in the international market. The government has allowed sugar exports, especially to Afghanistan, on the plea of surplus stock.
Sharif expressed confidence in achieving economic growth, noting a decline in inflation numbers.
He pointed out that inflation had come down to a nine-year low of 2.4 percent, commending the Finance Ministry for its efforts “during the past 11 months to bring the inflation down to the lowest level.”
“Now, we are fully striving to head towards economic growth. This is the main challenge. All of our energies will be focused on economic growth. Just like other targets, we will achieve this too,” he added. Furthermore, he expressed his gratitude towards Sindh and Balochistan for approving the agriculture tax – to meet the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme.
He said that $1.2 billion agreement with Saudi Arabia would strengthen foreign exchange reserves. He also commended another deal with the Saudi Development Fund (SDF), which will provide $41 million for a water scheme in Mansehra.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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