ISLAMABAD: Amid the current unprecedented food inflation in the country, people may have a sigh of relief as governments of Indonesia and Malaysia are sending 10 shiploads of edible oil to Pakistan to cater to the local demand.

The Prime Minister’s Office said on Tuesday that 10 shiploads of edible oil from Indonesia and Malaysia would arrive in the country within the next two weeks.

The development took place after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held a telephonic conversation with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on June 10.

On his directive, a Pakistani delegation held successful negotiations with the Indonesian trade ministry for the import of edible oil. Minister for Commerce and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmood met his Indonesian counterpart, the PM Office said. The visiting delegation also included Pakistan Vanaspati Manufacturers Association chairman Tariqullah Sufi and member Rashid Jan Muhammad.

“Today, a shipload of 30,000 tonnes of edible oil would sail for Pakistan,” an official press release said. It added that a total of 0.25 million tonnes of edible oil is being supplied to Pakistan from Indonesia.

The Indonesian government, on the request of the Pakistani delegation, swiftly acted upon all relevant issues. However, it has not been informed on which terms and conditions the edible oil was being sent to Pakistan by the two countries.

The price of edible oil has sharply gone up in markets across the country and the commodity is being sold at Rs600 per litre.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2022