ISLAMABAD, Oct 28: The Economy Monitoring Committee (EMC) on Tuesday asked the ministry of industries to firm up its proposal regarding import of raw sugar in December to meet any anticipated shortfall of the sweetener.

The committee headed by Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tareen directed the industries ministry that the proposal should come after revisiting existing stock position and additional requirements to be met through local mobilisation and imports on need basis only.

The ministry of industries has moved a summary to the EMC seeking import of raw sugar apparently for imminent sugar crisis as the price of the commodity has increased from Rs30 per kg to over Rs40 in the past few weeks.

An official statement issued after the meeting said the ministry briefed the EMC about the proposal to import raw sugar to meet any anticipated shortfall.

The adviser directed the sub-committee set up to review gas supply strategy during winter season to step up its homework and submit practical proposals incorporating stakeholders’ concerns for government approval.

Mr Tareen also directed ministry of petroleum to rationalise gas demand and supply system on national network for reaching an out-of-box solution in a way that national industry did not suffer in terms of productivity.

The petroleum ministry was further advised to bring forward a comprehensive gas load distribution proposal taking into account all stakeholders needs.

The meeting was informed that the government had imported 1,750,000 tons of wheat so far that was being transported to upcountry to ensure its convenient availability in the open market.

The ministry of agriculture informed the EMC that currently it had a balance stock of 2.978 million tons. The adviser directed Minfal to recast its existing policy implementation framework on supplementing its existing stock position in a manner that people face no inconvenience.

He further advised Minfal to devise a set of wheat distribution proposals in a way that all the four provinces face no shortage. Necessary government approval may be obtained after firming up all possible options on the subject that included federal government’s projected role in Minfal to act as equaliser in judicious distribution of wheat stocks to facilitate common man.

Minfal informed the EMC that it had 9.5 lakh tons of DAP in stocks that could adequately meet the demand. It further briefed the meeting about domestic demand of 730,000 tons of urea to meet local consumption. It includes a combination of domestic production and projected import. The adviser directed Minfal to put up its urea and DAP specific recommendations on all policy issues within two weeks.