Economy stabilising owing to tough decisions, says PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan says providing relief to the people is the top priority of the government.

“We strive to provide special relief to low-income groups and poverty-stricken families,” he said while chairing a meeting called to discuss measures to cut prices of essential commodities to prove the poor relief.

Prime Minister Khan said in view of the challenging economic situation, the government took difficult decisions. Due to these decisions, he added, the economy is stabilising today and economic indicators are showing improvement.

He expressed the hope that the situation will improve further in the coming days, adding despite difficult conditions, every possible effort to provide relief to the people will be undertaken.

PM Khan directed the Utility Stores administration to ensure immediate and uninterrupted availability of essential food items to the public following the release of Rs6 billion by the government.

Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, who was present at the meeting, said in addition to a network of 4,000 utility stores, 800 post offices spread across the country can also be used to supply essential food items to the public.

He further elaborated that home delivery service will soon be started by Pakistan Post Office to supply items at home to the poor and the needy.

The meeting was attended by Minister for Planning Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, SAPM for Social Welfare Dr. Sania Nishtar, the secretaries and additional secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, the Planning Commission, Communication, National Food Security and Industry, Chairman and Managing Director Utility Stores Corporation, Chief Commissioner Islamabad and other senior officials.

The meeting was briefed on prices of essential commodities (flour, wheat, sugar, ghee, rice and pulses) and measures to control them.

The Utility Stores Corporation chairman apprised the meeting that an immediate grant of Rs6 billion from the government will reduce prices of basic essential food items. He informed that the immediate supply of funds by the government would lead to price reduction of up to Rs132 per kg in flour, Rs9 per kg in sugar, Rs30 per kg in ghee, Rs20 per kg in rice and Rs15 in pulses which would be made available for public consumption at Utility Stores.