Utility stores were being restructured to benefit the people in a “more effective manner”, Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Saturday.

“The government is restructuring the utility store to pass the benefits of subsidy on to the people in a transparent manner,” he told reporters after inaugurating the ninth Colour and Chem Exhibition at the Expo Centre in Lahore.

“We are improving this system as there were complaints that the benefits of the subsidy are not reaching the right people fully, some employees are involved in it and the names of some officers are also in it who were taking the subsidy, so it was necessary to bring reforms, we are trying to provide the subsidy to the deserving”.

On Friday, the industries and production ministry secretary told the Senate panel that the government was considering shutting down all utility stores in the country.

The decision is part of the rightsizing of federal government ministries, as well as institutions working under them.

“Government wants to get out of non-essential businesses,” Saif Anjum said during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production.

Tanveer claimed that the government was “striving” to get the country’s economy on its feet again.

He went on to add that the tax system was “being simplified” to restore the confidence of taxpayers and investors.

“Soon there will be investment in the country and maximum resources will be provided for the promotion of small and medium industries so that exports can be increased after meeting the domestic needs of production at the local level,” the minister said.