ISLAMABAD – Federal Cabinet has given approval to a subsidy of two billionrupees per month for a period of five months to Utility Stores Corporationfor provision of edible items of daily use to the people at affordablerates.
Meeting of the federal cabinet was held in Islamabad today with PrimeMinister Imran Khan in the chair.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr.Firdous Ashiq Awan giving a briefing to media in Islamabad on Tuesday saidthis package will help ensure availability of flour, sugar, rice and pulsesamong other edible items at USC outlets at reasonable rates. The USC hasbeen further directed that 20 kg flour bag be sold at 800 rupees whilepulses at 15-20 percent less prices than market.
She said the government will also devise a strategy to keep a check onprices of essential edible items.
She said government’s economic team, ministry of commerce and otherinstitutions including Utility Stores Corporation gave a detailed briefingto the Prime Minister.
The Cabinet gave approval to lift ban on import of sugar to ensure supplyof this commodity. She said export of sugar has been banned and a strategyis being devised to remove regulatory duty on this commodity.
She said 4.3 million women are being given two thousand rupees monthlyunder Ehsaas program. The number will reach by seventy million by end ofthis year, benefitting 46.9 people will benefit.
The Special Assistant said the Prime Minister has directed his team todevise a mechanism to reduce the prices of gas and electricity in phasewise manner to reduce the burden of inflation on people.
She said that, Under Ehsaas Fee Support Program, the government willprovide 750 rupees for male students and 1000 rupees per female students.She said under Ehsas Nutrition program, which will be launched next month,20 thousand women will get its benefit and it will be further expanded infuture. She said Ehsaas Langar Khana program, 100 more langar khana will beestablished this year across the country with public private partnership.
The SAPM said that the Health Advisor briefed the meeting about governmentinitiatives in preventing Coronavirus.
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She said that the cabinet also directed to prepare a comprehensive strategyto control the prices of electricity and gas along with the causes ofrising prices. She said the report will also be shared with media andgeneral public.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor-ul-HaqQadri said the cabinet today accorded approval to Hajj Policy 2020. He saidthis year the hajj quota of intending pilgrims from Pakistan is 1,79,200and efforts are being made to increase this number.
He said sixty percent pilgrims will offer hajj through government schemewhile forty percent through private tour operators. He said transparencyand merit will be ensured while selecting private tour operators as per thedirections of the Supreme Court.
Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said the hajj package through government scheme is4,90,000 rupees for intending pilgrims of north region and 4,80,000 rupeesfor those from southern region of the country.
He said the increase in hajj package is due to surge in airline fares anddepreciation of Pakistani rupee among other reasons. He said the Saudigovernment has levied an additional fee of 300 riyals for hajj visa and 110riyals for mandatory health insurance. Similarly, the cost of residence hasalso gone up in Makkah.
The Minister said last year the government reimbursed an amount of 5.50billion rupees to the pilgrims and this year efforts are being made tominimize the burden on intending pilgrims.
Noor-ul-Haq Qadri said 22,000 Pakistanis benefitted from Road to Makkahproject in Islamabad last year and this year talks are underway to extendit to Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta.
