Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday directed the ministry of national food security to roll out Ramadan relief package of subsidized food items to low-income groups without using state-owned utility stories.
During the cabinet meeting, the PM told the Ministry of National Food Security and Research not to use state-owned utility stories to avoid corruption and customer complaints.
“Ramadan is around the corner and for that I have entrusted the ministry of food security with the responsibility to prepare a Ramadan package without [state-owned] utility stores so that there is no corruption and there is no distribution of spoilt goods,” Sharif said in a televised address to his cabinet.
“This [distribution of Ramadan goods] cannot continue through utility stores. During last year’s Ramadan, there were countless complaints and now we have found a solution to this that we will introduce a [Ramadan] package minus utility stores.”
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The annual Ramadan relief package provides subsidies and price reductions on essential commodities such as wheat, sugar, oil, and pulses, primarily distributed through utility stores. However, each year, consumers report issues including long queues, limited stock availability, substandard food quality, and difficulties with the identification verification process required to access the discounted items.
Last year, the Sharif-led government introduced a “historic” Ramadan package, allocating $26.8 million (Rs7.5 billion) in subsidies to reduce the prices of essential goods for over 30.96 million families.
