The National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) reviewed the prices of essential commodities on Friday and directed the relevant stakeholders to maintain food prices to provide relief to the common man.
The NPMC meeting was chaired by the Caretaker Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Muhammad Sami Saeed. Chief Economist Dr Nadeem Javaid moderated the meeting.
The meeting was attended by the Chief Statistician from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), representatives from all provinces, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Ministry of Food Security and Industries, and other relevant stakeholders.
The meeting observed that the prices of a few commodities increased last week, leading to the decision to hold NPMC meetings on a weekly basis to monitor prices and provide relief to the masses.
“Immediate measures need to be taken to control abnormal gaps in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI),” remarked the Planning Minister Sami Saeed during the NPMC meeting.
During the meeting, PBS officials presented the price and inflation data, while representatives from Punjab, KP, Sindh, and Balochistan apprised the forum on the current production and supply of wheat, sugar, and other essential commodities, which remained satisfactory.
The minister emphasized zero tolerance against hoarders and profiteers, directing the provincial governments to engage their respective Commissions, Deputy Commissioners, and Magistrates against hoarders.
The committee also directed the Provincial government to establish Sasta Bazaars to provide maximum relief to the people. The meeting also highlighted the importance of minimizing the price difference between wholesale and retail items. Relevant stakeholders were directed to reduce this difference to maximize relief for the common man.
The NPMC meetings will take place on a weekly basis, with PBS sharing its data analysis report in every meeting. The minister directed the concerned stakeholders, particularly the provincial governments, to closely monitor the price index.
Source: ProPakistani