Minister briefs Senate on govt measures to reduce sugar and wheat prices

Minister briefs Senate on govt measures to reduce sugar and wheat prices.

While speaking in the Senate today (Monday), Minister for Industries and Production Hammad Azhar has said the government is taking concrete measures.

Minister briefs Senate on govt measures

Furthermore, he said the measures aim to bring down sugar and wheat prices in the country.

Hammad said that the government decided to import more sugar to ensure its smooth and cheap supply.

In this regard, he said, we will seek permission from ECC to import 5000 tons more sugar.

The Minister said to ensure adequate supply of flour, Punjab government timely enhanced the release of wheat to flour mills.

However, at the same time Sindh government limited the release. That resulted in price hike of flour in Sindh.

He said for the first time in history, sugarcane farmers are getting real price of their crop due to support price which the PTI govt announced.

The Minister said petroleum prices in Pakistan also remain lower than that of the neighboring countries.

External debt

Hammad Azhar said major part of external debt during the PTI government was utilized to repay the interest on the loans obstianed by the previous governments.

Meanwhile, Minister for Finance and Revenue Hafeez Sheikh said the government is focusing on reducing foreign debt.

He called it a big burden on country’s economy. He termed it unfair to blame the government for current debt spike. Because it  is also paying the loans which the previous governments obtained.

The Minister further said during initial days of PTI government our first priority aimed to save the country from the impending default.

Resultantly the government took result-oriented decisions and had landmark agreement with International Monetary Fund.

He said the current government inherited a very precarious economic situation in 2018.

Therefore it had to introduce strict financial discipline to curtail excessive government expenditure, increase revenue collection, introduce market driven exchange rate, remove large tax exemptions and discourage imports.

Govt did not borrow even a single penny

Sheikh said that the government did not borrow even a single penny form the State Bank of Pakistan during the last one and half year, while no supplementary grants was provided.

He outlined that since the spread of Covid-19, the government has taken several initiatives to facilitate agriculture and construction sectors to accelerate economic recovery.

He further said due to primary surplus, we don’t need loans if we don’t have to repay previous loans.

The Minister said now the combined impact of various progressive economic indicators show that the country is moving forward.

The Senate has strongly condemned the inhuman and degrading treatment of Kashmiri leader Yaseen Malik since his only crime is to raise his voice against the brutal Indian military Occupation.

Meanwhile, the Upper House adopted a unanimous resolution which the Opposition leader Raja Zafar-ul-Haq moved.

Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir

Moreover, the Senate took notice of the systematic imprisonment and torture of political prisoners in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

It also took not of the serious plight of Kashmir freedom fighter Yaseen Malik, who is incinerated in a death cell in notorious Tihar Jail in India, having spent 25 years of his life in Indian prisons.

The House expressed grave concern.

It lamented India’s concocting new false charges against Yasin Malik, with a view to keeping him in Jail indefinitely.

The Senate urged the government to immediately take up the case of Yasin Malik and all other prisoners in  IIOJK, including Asiya Andarabi.

Upper House of the parliament asked govt to take up it with the UN Human Right Council.

Furthermore, the house asked govt to seek swift release from illegal imprisonment.

Besides, the Senate proposed launch sustained global campaign for highlighting this issue at all international fora.

Forums include foreign government, parliamentarians and human rights organizations.

The house also sought report within 45 days as to the progress made on this issue, pursuant to the Senate resolution.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs Dr Babar Awan also spoke.

Swift and transparent accountability

He said PTI government believes in swift and transparent accountability; hence welcome and any effective reform in this regard.

He was winding up a discussion on a motion moved by 0pposition members regarding poll rigging in Gilgit Baltistan elections, and overall precipitous economic situation and growing volume of foreign loans.

The Minister said reforms in National Accountability Bureau should not be based on blame game or person specific.

He also expressed readiness of the government to debate on reforms regarding transgender, women and children rights, land record related laws and economic issues.

The Adviser said opposition is blaming the PTI government for rigging in elections at places where they have lost their seats but they accept results where they secured victory.

Babar Awan said PTI has submitted all record to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s scrutiny committee regarding foreign funding.

Now, he suggested it opposition’s turn to submit the same for the donations it has received from abroad.

Earlier, leader of the House Dr Shahzad Wasim participated in the discussion.

He expressed satisfaction over government’s economic policies and hoped that more progress in upcoming years.

Meanwhile, PPP leader Sherry Rehman questioned the utilization of loan worth 16 billion dollars obtained during this fiscal year.

She also criticized the government for not timely importing the LNG.

She further said that PPP stays ready to face the accountability as per previous practice. But that must remain across the board.

Now, the House stays prorogued.

GTV