November 03, 2007	Saturday	Shawwal 21, 1428

ISLAMABAD, Nov 2: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Friday the government was providing a subsidy of Rs1 billion every month on items of daily use being sold through the Utility Stores Corporation.

Presiding over a meeting to review prices of essential commodities in the country, he said that with the supply of additional wheat to the utility stores through Passco, flour was now available at Rs13 per kg in all 3,500 outlets of the USC across the country.

He said the government had imported 500,000 tons of wheat to maintain a buffer stock in the country, adding that it would also ensure a reasonable buffer stock of pulses and other essential commodities to check the price hike.

Mr Aziz said the number of USC outlets had been increased from 560 to 3,500 and it would be further increased to 6,000 to ensure the availability of daily items at reduced prices.

He said the government would open at least one utility store in every union council across the country. He asked the provinces to take action against hoarders who are creating artificial shortage of essential items.

The prime minister said the government would never allow anti-social elements to manipulate market prices of essential commodities through hoarding.

He stressed the need for improving the distribution chain so that people could obtain their required quantity of essential goods from the utility stores.The meeting was informed that the Utility Stores Corporation was providing items of daily use to the consumers at comparatively reduced prices. Prices of sugar at Rs25 per kg, dal chana at Rs29, moong at 47 and mash at 57 per at the utility stores were lower than the open market rates, it was told.

The meeting was informed that the utility stores had increased the number of its warehouses from 18 to 30.