ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin has directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research and the managing director PASSCO to reconcile the stock position of wheat in order to take informed decisions and to ensure smooth supply of wheat in the country.

Sources said that the Adviser on Finance directed this, while chairing a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee.

He also directed the Ministry of National Food Security and Research to devise an incentive structure for the growers of pulses to raise its domestic production and minimise the dependence on imports, besides to build strategic reserves of moong pulse and work out the excess production for exports to safeguard the local growers.

The meeting also directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to check the exemption of taxes on the production of vegetable ghee/edible oil for the erstwhile Federally-Administered Tribal Areas and PATA with the coordination of the Ministry of Industries and Production.

The meeting decided that chief secretary Balochistan to take strict action against the smuggling of urea to Iran, Afghanistan, and other countries through Balochistan.

The Ministry of Industries and Production was asked to coordinate with all stakeholders for enacting and implementation of the whistle blower law to prevent hoarding in the country.

The meeting was informed that outstanding decisions included that Industries Ministry and government of Balochistan to expedite the process of USCs expansion in the province, MD Utility Stores Corporation (USC) to ensure completion of automation of USCs across the country by the 31st December to provide targeted subsidy in accordance with Ehsaas data set.

The Ministries of Food and Industries were required to fix the timelines in consultation with the government of Balochistan for establishing cold storages/ warehouses and expansion of USC outlet in the province and Syed Javed and Shahid Yousaf to seek guidance of secretary NFS&R and secretary Industries Punjab to finalise the re-engineering task and present the same in the NPMC, and all provincial governments to devise strategies to increase the footfall of Sasta bazaar enabling the consumers to get benefit of lower prices.