ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a serious note of rising prices of essential commodities and directed the federal and provincial governments to take immediate steps to ensure an adequate supply of such items at affordable prices.

In a statement issued by the Prime Minister Office (PMO) on Wednesday, Imran Khan expressed displeasure over the unrelenting price rise even after petroleum prices were slashed.

“The prime minister has taken a very serious view of the fact that while the federal government has reduced POL prices drastically in the past few months, there is no corresponding reduction in the prices of essential commodities. Rather these are showing an upward trend,” said an official press release of the PMO.

Federal, provincial governments told to take action

Prime Minister Khan also expressed concern over the hike in wheat flour prices. “There is no logic that flour prices should increase when harvesting of the wheat crop has recently ended.”

The prime minister asked the chief ministers and the provincial chief secretaries to look into the matter and make an effort to ensure that the impact of reduction of fuel prices is reflected in the prices of essential commodities.

“The provincial governments shall monitor the prices of essential commodities on a daily basis and make every effort to pass on the benefits of fuel price reduction to the common man,” the prime minister said.

He directed that the National Price Monitoring Committee to monitor the prices of essential commodities, on a weekly basis, and devise a mechanism to bring down the prices.

The prices of petroleum have been drastically reduced in keeping with the sharp decline in the international market. The prime minister announced a cut in prices to give some relief to the nation in these hard times.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2020