• Open market price of commodity has reached Rs150 per kg in city
• 600,000 10-kg bags being supplied daily on subsidised rates
• Sharjeel says govt to ban inter-provincial transportation of wheat

KARACHI: In a bid to control the rising prices of flour that hit all-time high to reach up to Rs150 per kg during the last week, the provincial government on Tuesday increased wheat quota of flour mills and claimed that the daily-use commodity would be available at Rs95 per kg in retail shops and open market in the next couple of days.

A recent report of the Bureau of Statistics states flour was being sold for up to Rs150 per kilogram in parts of Karachi forcing the citizens to buy the most expensive flour across the country.

The Sindh government has been providing subsidised flour on designated stalls across the province for Rs65 a kilo. However, there are widespread reports of non-availability of the commodity at government rate and long queues of people and their protest demonstrations have become a routine feature from Karachi to Kashmore.

Against this backdrop, Information Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and Food Minister Mukesh Kumar Chawala along with representatives of the All Pakistan Flour Mills Association (APFMA) held a joint press conference.

They said that wheat quota of the mills had been increased and flour would be available at Rs95 per kg in shops and open market in addition to supply of subsidized atta at Rs65 per kg at 1,100 sale points across the province.

Mr Memon said that 460 trucks had been allocated daily for supply of subsidised flour in Karachi, while 600,000 bags of 10 kg were being supplied daily across the province at discounted rates.

He said that the Pakistan Peoples Party leadership had strictly instructed the food minister to bring the prices of flour under control in the open market.

“In this regard, the quota of flour mills has been increased and the price of flour in the open market will come down to Rs95 per kg from Rs150 in a couple of days,” he said, adding that the provincial government had abundant storage of wheat.

He said that the chief minister had issued orders to commissioners and deputy commissioners to take strict action against profiteers and hoarders. “The hoarded wheat will be seized and taken into the custody of the government,” he added.

He said that there was no restriction on the inter-provincial transportation of wheat under the law and any commodity or fruits and vegetables could be transported across the country. “But under certain circumstance, the government decides to ban the inter-provincial transportation of wheat,” he added.

He said that many criticised the Sindh government for fixing the price of wheat at Rs4,000 per 40 kg for the upcoming season, but now other provinces were also praising the decision.

The minister said that imported wheat cost at Rs9,000 and its quality was also not satisfactory as it was mixed with local wheat for consuming. “So why don’t we give Rs4,000 to our own farmer,” he asked.

He claimed that the flour was most expensive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where it was being sold at Rs160 per kg.

The food minister said that he had held meetings with millers’ representatives and in the final round asked the association for suggestions to reduce the prices of flour in the open market.

He said that the APFMA had suggested to increase the quota of wheat to the flour mills. “With APFMA’s cooperation, the price of flour in the open market in the province will be brought down to Rs95 per kg in couple of days,” he added.

Minister Chawala said that the Punjab government had also increased the quota of wheat to flour mills, where the price of flour had come down to Rs120 per kg from Rs160.

He announced that the legal heirs of a labourer who died in a stampede while waiting to buy subsidised flour would be given Rs1 million as aid by the provincial government.

APFMA representative Chaudhry Muhammad Yusuf said that mills had started getting additional quota of wheat and they would ensure the availability of atta at Rs95 per kg in the open market in a couple of days.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2023