KP govt to import 150,000 tonnes wheat to fulfill shortfall

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to import 150,000 tonnes of wheat at a cost of Rs8.5 billion to address the shortage of flour in the province, ARY News reported.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the provincial cabinet held in Peshawar with Chief Minister Mahmood Khan in the chair.

The cabinet also approved Rs3 billion to flour mills to ensure the provision of cheap flour to the public.

Briefing media about the provincial cabinet meeting, the KP Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Information and Local Government Kamran Muhammad Bangash said that the provincial cabinet has approved Rs3 billion for wheat import and provision of cheap flour to the public.

He further said, “A committee has been formed by the provincial cabinet to hold talks with private sector for the procurement of wheat,” he added.

The committee will comprise ministers and secretaries of food, education and finance ministries, added Bangash.

On Friday, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet had allowed the Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) to place an order for the import of 200,000 tonnes of wheat in the public sector following the import of 500,000 tonnes of wheat by the private sector in the country.