• Directs provinces to ensure display of price lists
• Market committees in Punjab, KP dissolved
• Finance minister says CPI recorded at 5.7pc

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday direc­ted the provinces to ensure that price lists were displayed at all essential items’ shops and strict action be taken against the relevant assistant commissioners (ACs) in case of price hike and hoarding in their respective areas.

Presiding over a meeting on prices and supply/demand of food items, the prime minister also ord­ered action against those involved in last year’s sugar crisis.

Relevant federal and provincial ministers, secretaries, chief secretaries and other senior officers participated in the meeting.

It was also decided to dissolve market committees in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) where Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) is in government and new bodies set up comprising people with good reputation and the expertise to handle market issues.

“In case price lists are not implemented, action would be taken against the relevant assistant commissioner,” said an official press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.

It said: “The prime minister directed all provincial chief secretaries to ensure implementation of official price lists and effective role of local administrations in this regard.”

PM Khan said besides making availability of basic commodities certain, ensuring appropriate prices was the government’s foremost priority. He directed the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) administration to ensure availability of basic goods at all outlets.

He also asked the Ministry of National Food Security to complete assessment work at the earliest on future requirement of basic commodities, like wheat and sugar, to ensure advance arrangements.

He directed all chief secretaries to ensure implementation of decisions regarding prices through active and effective role of the administration and ordered immediate action against officers showing any negligence.

Finance Minister Dr Hafeez Sheikh told the meeting that in January 2021, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was recorded at 5.7pc as against 14.6pc in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal year.

Similarly, the CPI, recorded at 8.2pc during July-January period of the current fiscal, was lower than the 11.2pc calculated during the same period in last fiscal, he added.

The meeting was informed that comparison based on the latest statistics depicted significant decline in the CPI.

It was further told that prices of sugar, eggs and onion had fallen whereas those of wheat flour had shown stability.

The meeting was briefed about the situation of the official release of wheat along with details of price difference between wholesale and retail levels in various districts.

The meeting was informed that price difference in wholesale and retail levels depicted the failure of market committees.

It therefore decided to immediately abolish the existing market committees in the two provinces ruled by PTI and hand over responsibilities to the district and tehsil administrations till new committees, comprising competent people, were constituted.

The meeting participants were briefed about measures adopted in the light of the sugar inquiry report to keep price of the commodity under control. It was decided that the process of installation of cameras in sugar mills would be expedited.

Besides, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will provide provincial governments with details of sales tax collected under the head of sugar so as to make the system transparent.

The meeting was told that owing to effective measures taken by the FBR, collection of sales tax from sugar had recorded 84pc increase during July-January period of the current fiscal year.

PAF chief meets PM

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan called on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Professional matters pertaining to Pakistan Air Force (PAF) were discussed during the meeting.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2021