Pakistan government Ramzan food relief package ends, food prices raised

Islamabad, Pakistan:

Utility Stores Corporation (USC) on Saturday released a new rate list of various food products, including pulses, cooking oil and gram flour. According to the list, the discount of Pakistani Rs 10 per kg being offered on dal mash and dal moong has been reverted while the price of gram flour has risen by Pakistani Rs 20 per kg.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the previous Imran Khan-led government had approved a Ramazan relief package worth Pak Rs 8.3 billion in March, under which a subsidy was provided on 19 essential kitchen items including wheat flour, gram flour, rice, cooking oil, pulses, white gram, sugar, ghee, dates, tetra pack milk, tea and spices.

The Dawn further reported that a 20 kg bag of wheat flour was available for Rs 800, sugar for Rs 70 kg and ghee for Rs 170 per kg under the relief package. Subsidy on black tea was Rs 50 per kg, on oil Rs 20 per litre, on pulses from Rs 15 to Rs 30 per kg, on white gram Rs 25 per kg, on dates Rs 20 and on rice Rs 10-12 per kg.

In April, the Shehbaz Sharif government slashed the price of 10 kg flour bag from Rs 550 to Rs 400 in Punjab till Eid and per kilogram price of sugar from Rs 75 to Rs 70.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb announced that the decision on the reduction in prices of sugar and flour was taken in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The premier directed price reduction of basic commodities, Marriyum said, adding that the subsidized flour will be available everywhere in Punjab.

Earlier, PM Sharif announced a massive relief package for public and private employees soon after taking charge