June 12, 2006	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 15, 1427

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RAWALPINDI, June 11: The government is planning to increase the number of regular utility stores from the existing 560 to 1,000 across the country to control profiteering and stockpiling of essential commodities.

Official sources told Dawn on Sunday that the step was being taken on the directives of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and President Gen Pervez Musharraf to benefit the people at the grassroots level.

The sources said the current number of utility stores operating in 109 districts across the country was not enough to cater to the demands of the increasing population.

The government was also considering to increase the number of warehouses from 15 to 50 in order to ensure maximum supply of commodities to all the utility stores.

The government would also set up franchise utility stores and provide them all basic infrastructures besides supplying them essential commodities.

“This would be a joint venture of National Bank of Pakistan and the Utility Stores Corporation. The bank would provide loans to the franchisers to initiate the formalities for setting up of the franchise shops,” they added.

The corporation is also planning to double the number of existing 400 mobile sales units for effective and prompt delivery of household items in the far-flung areas.

“We have an ambitious plan to spread the network of utility outlets at the union council level across the country especially in Balochistan where this facility is lacking,” the sources asserted.