6,000 Utility Store employees set to lose jobs

In an alarming development, about 6,000 daily-wage Utility Store employees are set to lose jobs amid government’s privatization plan.

The development was revealed during a briefing to the Senate Standing Committee on Industry and Production, chaired by Senator Aon Abbas.

About 5,000 permanent employees will be transferred to a surplus pool, the Managing Director told the committee. He said that the privatization process had be delayed due to pending two-year audit.

He told the committee that the audit is expected to be completed by August 2025.

About 3,020 utility stores are operational in the country, out of which 1,700 are non-profitable, which are set to be shut down, he said. Only remaining 1,500 operational stores will be handed over to a private management.

The corporation’s monthly expenses were previously Rs. 1.02 billion, which has now been reduced to Rs. 520 million due to cost-cutting measures, including store closures.

The committee also sought a briefing on the role and functions of the Sugar Advisory Board, questioning the rationale behind sugar exports despite surplus stock and subsequent price hikes.