Govt giving subsidy of Rs3b on ghee: Marriyum

Islamabad: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said the government is giving subsidy of three billion rupees to provide ghee to the masses on reduced rates. 

While addressing a news conference in Islamabad today, she pointed out that the price of ghee in the open market is five hundred and fifty rupees per kilogram whilst it is being provided at the rate of three hundred rupees per kilogram through the Utility Stores Corporation. This accounts for subsidy of 250 rupees on each kilogram of ghee.

The Minister for Information said a flour bag of ten kilogram is also being provided at reduced rates of four hundred rupees through Utility Stores. She said the flour is available at the same rate in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as per the promise made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

She said one hundred mobile units and six hundred stationery sale points have been added to the system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in order to ensure the availability of wheat flour to the masses in the province.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that price control committees have also been constituted.  She said steps are being taken to check hoarding and smuggling of the essential commodities.

The Information Minister said seventeen billion rupees have been earmarked in the budget for the provision of cheap ghee, flour and sugar to the people in the next fiscal year.

Alluding to the failures of the PTI government, she said the present government is taking steps to take the economy towards stability. A package has been announced in the budget for the agriculture sector.

She said the government has taken practical steps to provide relief to the masses.