LAHORE, July 29: Prime minister’s advisor on industries and production Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo said the government has planned to merge the corporations performing similar functions for enhancing their effectiveness in a cost-effective manner.

Speaking after a briefing by CEO Shahid Rashid during a visit to the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) head office here on Tuesday, he said many of around 32 corporations functioning under the ministry of production had similar functions and could be merged into two or three major organisations.

He was of the view that the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) needed a lot of improvement to become a real public service organisation and could serve the people better by reorganising its strengths. He asked Smeda to conduct a study on revamping the USC on modern lines.

Wattoo lamented that Pakistan had to import wheat, edible oils and seeds despite being an agricultural country. Smeda should expand its interventions in agricultural areas by developing strategies for increasing indigenous production of wheat, edible oils and seeds, he said.