ISLAMABAD – The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday, expressing dissatisfaction overthe performance of Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP), issueddirectives to take concrete steps for ensuring food security in thecountry and bringing to book the hoarders and profiteering cartels.
Briefing the media persons about the decisions of the cabinet, SpecialAssistant to PrimeMinister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said thatthe Prime Minister had summoned the CCP high-ups for briefing on hoardingof flour and sugar and its role in controlling this practice.
The cabinet was informed that most of the laws related to food securitywere obsolete andthere was no harmony between the Federation and the provinces in thisregard.
She said that the Prime Minister gave the observation that the CCP hadfailed in its role toensure food security and issued directives with a time-line for its reformsand empowerment. She said that the Law Ministry was directed to pursuecases of stay orders by edible items mill cartels.
She said that the cabinet also requested the superior judiciary to decidesuch cases on priority as they were related to public interest.
The SAPM said that the PM also expressed displeasure over vacant post of amember of CCP tribunal which was hampering its functioning and called forearliest filling of the post. Moreover, the cabinet constituted acommittee, headed by Dr Ishrat Hussain, to amend food security laws in thecountry.
The committee would present its report in one month which would be approvedby the cabinet as food security policy to get rid of the elements involvedin hoarding and adulteration of edible items.
During a briefing by Water and Power Division, the cabinet was informedthat when the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government came to power,circular debt was very high which was brought down by this government. Thecabinet was informed that Rs 242 billion subsidy was given to protectconsumers using upto 300 electricity units from fuel adjustment affects.
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She said that the industrial sector was given Rs 29 billion subsidy whereasthe Rs 100 billion subsidy was given to agriculture sector. She said thatthe PM also directed the Water and Power Division to bring the summary offixed billing for tube-well farmers in the next meeting. The cabinet alsoasked the division to take steps for redressing consumers’ reservationsabout tampering of meters by DISCOs employees which results in additionalburden on consumers.
The cabinet appreciated the performance of the Water and Power Division incontrolling line losses and taking steps to introduce regulatory mechanismin DISCOs.
She said that the Oil and Gas Division informed the cabinet that itinherited Rs 181billion deficit due to bad policies of the previousgovernment but it formulated a structural plan to save the consumers frommajor increase in gas bills.
She said that the cabinet was informed that Rs 10billion subsidy was givento fertilizer industry to ensure stability in the prices of fertilizers.She said that the domestic consumers were given Rs 19 billion subsidy lastyear whereas the estimate of the subsidy for ongoing year was Rs 30 billion.
Firdous said that the Oil and Gas Division was directed to activate itsredundant meter manufacturing industry to reduce the extra cost of gasmeters, bought from the market.
