PM Shehbaz Sharif admits that politicians are responsible for the current “mess”

ISLAMABAD: On Tuesday while announcing the Rs 5 billion Ramzan Relief Packages, Rs 3.24 billion less than last year, Prime Minister acknowledged that it is not enough. 

In response to a media query about rising inflation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that, “I admit that we, the politicians, are responsible for the mess created in the past 70 years.” He also added that he will visit stores personally to make sure the package is being delivered. 

The Ministry of Industries has allocated Rs 1.15 billion for targeted and Rs 3.84 billion for untargeted subsidies on selected commodities like vegetable ghee, tea, flour, sugar, milk, beverages, dates and gram flour at utility stores across the country. 

As per details the targeted subsidy will be only for the users registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) while the people of the entire country will be able to benefit from the general subsidy. Targeted subsidy customers will be provided with flour for 10 kg bags at Rs 400, sugar at Rs 70 per kg and ghee at Rs 300 per kg. While in general subsidy, a 10 kg bag of flour will be available at Rs 648, sugar at Rs 91 per kg and ghee at Rs 490 per kg, while white gram will be available at Rs 20 less per kg.

Addressing a press conference, Federal Minister for Industries and Production Syed Murtaza Mahmud claimed that the first priority of the federal government was to save the people from hardship and inflation and to bring conveniences to their doorsteps.

According to the minister the federal government is already providing five basic food items at discounted rates to the public through the Utility Store Corporation (USC). In order to maintain this continuity of public convenience, the Prime Minister has extended the scope of the relief package to the month of Ramazan which will continue till Eid-ul-Fitr. 

The number of subsidized items has also been increased 19 which includes flour, ghee, sugar, cooking oil, tea, dates, basin, dal mash, dal mung, milk, drinks, spices etc. 

Along with this, the Prime Minister has also released a free flour package for the citizens of Islamabad. This gift of free flour is being distributed to the poor and deserving families who are registered under the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). Each registered family will get one bag of 10 kg as a gift for the first time and the remaining two bags will be received after 7 days. BISP has already notified its registered households through SMS. Registered households do not need OTP to get the free flour bag. The flour bag will be given to them on the show the original National Identity Card. To check your eligibility for this package, the consumers can text their NIC number to 8171 or visit the BISP offices.

Various vigilance teams have been formed to monitor the package and a control room has also been established, the federal government will also monitor this package to remove the problems of the people and increase their facilities.