Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided in principle to provide flour, ghee, cooking oil, pulses, rice and sugar at a low price to the poor segment of society for the next financial year.

“The poor segment of society is in dire need of relief at this time, and the government will take all measures in this regard,” the premier said while chairing a high-level meeting on utility stores in Islamabad on Monday.

He approved the expansion of the utility store network in Karachi and asked the authorities concerned to present a comprehensive plan for increasing the number of utility stores in the metropolis within two weeks.

The prime minister directed to make the subsidy system transparent and digital. He asked to create a comprehensive system by combining various types of subsidies.

He lauded the initiatives of utility stores in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan and also appreciated the provision of targeted subsidies with the help of digital system.

The meeting was informed that the Utility Store Corporation is currently operating 3822 stores directly and 1380 franchises in the country, Radio Pakistan reported.

The meeting was briefed that under the relief package of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, 113 million deserving people have been benefited so far. They have been given a targeted subsidy of 60 rupees per kg on flour, 21 rupees on sugar, 250 rupees on ghee and 15-20 rupees on pulses and rice. The subsidy mechanism is digital whereas NADRA and the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation are linked to the data.