Shaukat Tarin announces direct subsidy for households on sugar, flour, pulses

ISLAMABAD: Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on Wednesday announced direct cash subsidy on sugar, flour, ghee and pulses, benefiting 12.50 million households across Pakistan, ARY NEWS reported.

Addressing a presser in Islamabad along with other PM’s aides Farrukh Habib and Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, the finance minister said that the government is taking steps to provide direct cash subsidy to the marginalized segments of the society on sugar, flour, ghee and pulses.

“This program to be launched next month will benefit 12.50 million households which are upto 42 percent of the whole population,” he said. “Wheat is being released at the rate of Rs1950 per 40 kilogram. The price of sugar has been notified at Rs89.75 per kilogram.”

He further announced that the government has also decided to extend tax relief to the companies in order to bring down the prices of edible oil by about fifty rupees per kilogram.

Shaukat Tarin said efforts are also afoot to reduce the big profit margins of the middlemen. He said that they are trying to revive price control committees that will benefit the common man.

The finance minister said that Kamyab Pakistan Program is being launched by the end of this month to uplift the weak segments of the society. He said this program will provide easy loans for businesses and in the agriculture sector.