“I have assigned the responsibility to the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to bring a Ramazan package without the utility stores to overcome corruption and stop the distribution of low-quality materials,” he said while addressing the federal cabinet on Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the federal cabinet formed a high-level committee to develop a comprehensive strategy for the prompt shutdown of Utility Stores Corporation operations nationwide.

According to a Cabinet Division notification, the seven-member committee included the state ministers for finance and revenue, information technology, federal secretaries in finance, industry and production, privatisation, and the Benazir Income Support Programme.

Traditionally, the Ramazan package has been distributed to the public through utility stores. But the new committee is formed to develop a strategy for providing the package in collaboration with the BISP.

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It would oversee the arrangements for the safekeeping and maintenance of assets owned by the USC as preparations for privatisation move forward.

“Many months ago, I said that this matter cannot run with the USC. Many complaints were received in the last Ramazan. We have to bring a solution to minus the utility stores.”

The premier also lauded his economic team after the annual inflation rate fell to a nine-year low of 2.4% year-on-year in January. The Consumer Price Index indicated that headline inflation fell to 9.6% in August 2024, marking the first single-digit rate in over three years.