Punjab Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan has assured that every possible step will be taken to stabilize wheat and flour prices in the province and stockists would not be allowed to play with the situation at any cost.
He expressed these views while presiding over a high-level meeting on flour prices and new subsidy system.
The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan has removed all the obstacles in the way of wheat import and as soon as 500,000 tons of wheat is imported, the prices will come down automatically.
Abdul Aleem Khan said that the duty of the federal government has been waived off on the PM’s orders and now the private sector can import as much wheat as it wants so that no one can establish “monopoly” in the market.
Instructing the meeting to prepare new recommendations for wheat and flour prices, Aleem Khan said that subsidy on flour without any discrimination was not a proper procedure at all.
He said that only the poor and deserving people could get cheap prices of atta and flour should be available to them for which Ehsas program data or utility store network can be used.
Abdul Aleem Khan said that due to the issue of demand and supply, the prices of wheat and flour fluctuate in the market.
According to estimates, 5 million tons of wheat production is still in the market which some elements hold for surplus profit. Abdul Aleem Khan said that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to import wheat would be very useful and Insha Allah in the province wheat and flour will be available at reasonable rates with abundance.
Punjab Food Minister Abdul Aleem Khan directed the officials of the Food Department to immediately prepare new recommendations regarding targeted subsidy which were to be submitted to the Prime Minister Imran Khan after the approval of the Punjab chief minister.
Punjab Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal and Chief Secretary Jawad Rafique Malik also attended the meeting and expressed their views on wheat and flour prices. Food Secretary Waqas Ali Mahmood briefed on the current state of wheat stocks and highlighted new recommendations, especially regarding flour subsidy.
