ISLAMABAD, June 6: Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiatives Jehangir Khan Tareen has said that the government would soon extend subsidy to local markets so that people could get items of daily use on affordable rates.

He said this during his visit to the utility store in Sector G-9 Markaz. He checked the quality and prices of various items on Tuesday. Director General Utility Stores Corporation Brig (retired) Hafeez Ahmed accompanied him.

Utility stores have started selling sugar and pulses on subsidised rates as announced by the government in the budget.

Mr Tareen said the government’s decision to give immediate relief to consumers by lowering prices of pulses by Rs10 per kilogramme was historic made possible by the Rs2.5 billion subsidy in this regard.

The minister said the government had also announced Rs5 billion subsidy on sugar with a view to easing burden on the consumers. He said the government would soon extend the letter of credit (LC) for the import of 150,000 tons of Daal Channa. It has been decided to import 10,000 tons of Daal Maash. Those who had hoarded pulses would have no other option but to release their stocks.

In response to a question, he said, quality of the subsidised items would be ensured by all utility stores. 560 utility stores were working throughout the country of which 100 have been opened in the last six months; 300 more stores would be opened in different parts of the country in the next six to nine months, he added.

Mr Tareen said a franchise operation programme would soon be launched, which would involve private individuals for providing items of daily use to people on rates similar to that of the utility stores at their door steps.

So far, he said, the Trading Corporation of Pakistan had ordered the import of 800,000 tons of sugar besides the Rs5 billion subsidy awarded to the sugar sector, which would ultimately bring down prices further. He said domestic sugar prices had witnessed an increase because of the surge in the prices of the commodity at the international market.

Mr Tareen claimed that sugar growers were able to earn Rs35 billion extra due to the increase in sugar prices. He said the government had not taken any punitive action against cement manufacturers and had only intervened to stabilise supply of the commodity to contain prices.