Govt announces Rs 250 per kg subsidy on ghee at USC: Marriyum Aurangzeb

Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Marriyum Aurangzeb, while announcing a major reduction of Rs. 250 in per kilogram ghee price by the present government, said on Monday that the commodity would be available at all utility stores across the country at Rs 300/kg whereas a bag of 10- kg flour was already being provided at utility stores across the country at Rs. 400.

Addressing a press conference she said, in 2018, the price of flour was Rs. 35 per kg but when the PTI came to power, during the last four years, the pockets of mafias and cartels had been filled and the people were crushed under unprecedented inflation. To mitigate the problems of the consumers, the present government, from day one had been taking steps to provide subsidies and relief to protect the people from the effects of inflation.

She said that in 2018, the price of flour in Pakistan was Rs 35 per kg which increased to Rs 90 to Rs 100 per kg during the last four years and its quality was also compromised in the whole country, including utility stores.

She recalled that during the PTI era, flour was smuggled out of the country, it was exported and then imported, thus price was increased. Similarly, sugar was also exported, then it was imported and its price was more than doubled to benefit the mafias.

Marriyum said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had fixed the price of flour at utility stores at Rs. 400 per 10 kg keeping in view the rising rate of inflation. She said that from June 1, 2022, a scheme was started to provide flour at the rate of Rs. 400 per 10 kg through utility stores in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Due to shortage of utility stores in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 100 mobile utility stores have been added there since June 6, 2022, through which subsidized flour was being provided to the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

She said that on June 9, an additional 500 points were immediately allocated for the delivery of flour to the utility stores and today, 100 more points have been added. She said, now besides utility stores, about 700 mobile vans and 600 points were selling flour at Rs. 400 per 10 kg in the province.

Marriyum Aurangzeb disclosed that so far 262,434 ten-kilogram bags of flour had been distributed at 600 sales points. For the convenience of the people in these areas where utility stationary points or mobile vans could not reach, toll free number 080005590 has been given on which the consumers could register their grievances.

In addition, complaints regarding flour quality or price difference could be lodged on a toll free number 051-111123570. Referring to the price of ghee, she said that in 2018, during the PML-N era, the price of ghee was Rs. 150 per kg. In the last four years, ghee was being sold at Rs 550 to Rs 600. The minister said that a subsidy for ghee was introduced on June 9 with a total volume of Rs. 3 billion.