ISLAMABAD: While taking notice of increase in flour prices and other essential commodities, Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked Adviser on Finance Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, National Price Monitoring Committee, and the provincial governments to make sure that the impact of reduction of fuel prices must correspondingly reflect in the prices of essential commodities.

In a letter addressed to the adviser, chairman NPMC and chief secretaries Punjab, Sindh, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, the Prime Minister's Office conveyed prime minister's displeasure, and stated that the prime minister had taken a very serious view of the fact that, while the federal government had reduced POL prices significantly in the past few months, there was no corresponding reduction in the prices of essential commodities, rather those were showing upward trend.

Similarly, there is no justification and logic of increase in flour prices, when harvesting of the wheat crop has just recently been concluded.

In view thereof, the prime minister has desired that the chief ministers/chief secretaries of the provinces should personally look into the matter and make every effort to ensure that the impact of reduction of fuel prices must correspondingly reflect in the prices of essential commodities.

The prime minister further stated that the provincial governments should monitor the prices of essential commodities on a daily basis and make every effort to pass on the benefits of fuel-price reduction to the common man. The prime minister has directed the NPMC to also monitor the prices of essential commodities, on a weekly basis, as already directed by the Federal Cabinet, and devise mechanisms to bring down the prices of essential commodities.