Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finalises bill to curb hoarding

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government on Friday has finalised a bill to curb hoarding across the province, reported ARY News.

According to the proposed bill, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Godowns Registration Bill 2021, registration of godowns for the traders has been declared mandatory to ensure check on hoarding.

Violaters will be awarded 12 months imprisonment, while godowns will be sealed and fine of Rs0.5 million will be slapped in case of hoarding, the bill read.

The traders will be made bound for the renewal of their godowns’ licences yearly under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Godowns Registration Bill 2021.

The bill is on the agenda of the current session of the provincial assembly.

Last year, Punjab government had introduced an ordinance to curb the smuggling of essential commodities and punish hoarders.

Under the ordinance, the hoarders would be fined and slapped with a three-year sentence on guilty of hoarding essential items.

The ordinance states that the items recovered from the hoarders would be auctioned and the deputy commissioners would be authorized to check the stock of the items.