ISLAMABAD, July 5: The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) on Wednesday announced sale of sugar through retail outlets in different parts of the country at subsidised rates to increase the availability of the commodity and stabilise its price.

Addressing a press conference, USC managing director Brig (retd) Hafeez Ahmed said: “The government has decided to sell sugar to retailers from the corporation’s warehouses at Re1 per kg less than the prevailing wholesale rate.”

The corporation had earlier started selling subsidised sugar through 15 selected retailers in Islamabad, a facility which is now being extended to other areas.

The USC that has been getting 32,000 metric tons of sugar every month from the Trading Corporation of Pakistan, will be provided a separate quota of 15,000 metric tons per month to make supply to retailers.

The warehouses through which subsidised sugar will be provided to retailers are located in Abbottabad, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, D.G. Khan, D.I. Khan, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Hyderabad, Islamabad/ Rawalpindi (ERC), Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Nawabshah, Peshawar, Quetta, Sargodha, Swat and Sukkur.

The USC chief also spoke about the prime minister’s relief package for pulses under which dal channa, mash, moong and masoor were being sold through USC at subsidised rates of Rs30, Rs58, Rs53, and Rs31 per kg, respectively.

He said 340 more stores and 27 new distribution centres would be opened by December. The corporation is operating through 560 regular stores, 450 mobile units, 42 weekly bazaars and 90 factory area mobile stores, he said, adding that the USC’s coverage was 62 per cent in urban areas and 38 per cent in rural areas.

He said warehouses were also being set up at Rahimyar Khan, D.G. Khan, Sahiwal and Mianwali.