FinMin chairs steering committee meeting on inflation

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb led a high-level steering committee meeting in Islamabad to address inflation and food security challenges across Pakistan, ARY News reported.

Other participants in the meetings were senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, Energy and Petroleum Divisions, the State Bank of Pakistan, and other federal institutions.

During the session, the committee reviewed the current market situation and prices of essential food commodities, including wheat, rice, and sugar.

The main focus of the steering committee meeting was the impact of recent floods on low-income and vulnerable populations.

The Ministry of Finance stressed the need for instant assessment of food reserves and directed regular surveillance of basic commodity prices.

The steering committee meeting determined to develop collaboration with provincial governments and federal agencies to develop administrative measures.

The meeting discussed how to improve supply chains and curb rising prices. They also emphasised helping families affected by floods and those facing financial difficulties as a top priority for the government.

This was the first official meeting of the committee since it was created by the Prime Minister. After discussing with different government groups, they will share their recommendations with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Read More: PM Shehbaz vows support for flood victims’ rehabilitation

Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif led a high-level meeting in Islamabad to review the flood-affected areas and aftermath of heavy rainfall, reiterating the government’s firm commitment to the rehabilitation of flood victims.

During the meeting, the damage caused by recent monsoon rains and floods across Pakistan was discussed.

PM Shehbaz Sharif stressed that rehabilitation of flood victims remains the top priority of the federal government. He instructed officials to ensure real-time surveillance of evacuation and flood relief operations, especially in southern regions close to major rivers such as the Ravi, Sutlej, and Chenab.