ISLAMABAD: The cabinet has approved Rs. 2 billion subsidized price
package of essential food items to be distributed through the Utility
Stores Corporation (USC).
Federal Information Minister Firdous
Ashiq Awan said this while briefing the media men in Press Information
Department about the cabinet meeting here on Wednesday.
She
said that the prime minister during the meeting emphasized the
concerned authorities to ensure availability of food items throughout
Ramzan and no complaint of shortage should come.
She said that
controlling prices is the responsibility of the provincial governments
and the federal government has provided policy in this connection and
would provide any possible help the provinces need.
She said
that the government also decided that the utility stores would also
reduce prices of 800 items from 10-15 percent by narrowing its own
margins. “There will be a difference of Rs. 17 per KG in the rate of
sugar and Rs. 125-185 in the rate of atta in open market and in the
USC,” she added.
The cabinet discussed and granted Ex-post
Facto approval to the release of financial support of Rs. 65 billion to
PEPCO in order to improve the supply of electricity to the people, she
said. The Information Minister said, “The PEPCO and other supply
companies were instructed to abandon the unscheduled load shedding
which have disturbed the country’s industry, businesses and people. The
PEPCO has to issue schedule to strictly followed now.”
She said
former Minister for Law and Justice Senator Babar Awan had briefed the
meeting on special invitation who said that for the first time in
history the government is implementing 100 percent verdicts of the
Supreme Court.
Signing MoU on Pak-India trade, MoU to counter
narcotics between Afghanistan and Pakistan, MoU on Pak-China media
cooperation, agreement on transfer of offenders between Maldives and
Pakistan and several other issues were also discussed during the
meeting.
To a question on national consensus government, she
said that in different provinces different parties are in power except
PML-N in Punjab and several parties were accommodated in the federal
government. “Is it not a coalition government?” she asked.
The
cabinet also reviewed the implementation status of the decisions taken
by the cabinet with regard to Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
and Interior besides National Tarrif Commission Act 1990. Secretary
Information Taimur Azmat Usman and other officials were also present on
this occasion. Online
