ISLAMABAD, Sept 4: The government has directed the food ministry to provide quality wheat to the USC at control rates because complaints about the sale of substandard flour at the utility stores have been pouring in from across the country.

Presiding over a meeting of the Economic Monitoring Committee (EMC) on Thursday, Federal Minister for Finance and Privatisation Syed Naveed Qamar directed the ministry of food, agriculture and livestock (Minfal) to ensure supply of good quality wheat to the Utility Stores Corporation.

A Minfal official confirmed to Dawn that the government had been receiving complaints about the sale of substandard flour at USC outlets.

The food ministry also informed the committee that six ships carrying 220,000 tons of wheat had arrived at the Karachi Port.

However, a press release of the Trading Corporation of Pakistan later said only 183,890 tons of wheat had arrived at the port.

The Minfal officials said while arrangements were under way for another 50,000 tons of wheat import from the United States on differed payment in November, the government was also considering the import of wheat from Canada on differed payment.

The committee was briefed on the stock position of wheat and told that supply and prices were stable in all parts of the country while the USC network had been supplementing supply in Punjab in addition to the arrangements made by the provincial government itself.

The EMC also constituted a committee, headed by the Federal Board of Revenue chairman, for ensuring smooth supply of gas to domestic and commercial consumers during the peak season.

It directed the ministry of petroleum and natural resources to notify regulation of all fuel prices by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority.