ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday vowed to "further improve utility stores" for the middle class during a visit to one in the federal capital.
Addressing the media outside theutility store, the PM said his government had made quality items at affordable rates available for the lower middle class and the salaried people. The leadership's "top priority is to provide these items at cheap rates", he added.
"Everything is computerised here. Flour is being sold for Rs800 a kilogramme and we will try to reduce the price further but I can assure you that it won't rise above Rs800.
"There's nutrition added to the flour,"PM Imran said, referring to the wheat quality. "The rice that I have seen and the edible oil is locally manufactured — includingsunflower and canola — so we do not have to import it.
"The rupee can fluctuate but it won't affect the common person."
The premier noted that pulses worth Rs1.5 billion were being imported but the agricultural department was making full effort to grow them here in Pakistan. "We will further improve these utility stores in the future."
The Insaf Ration Card would be introduced very soon, allowing the country's underprivileged people to get food items worth Rs3,000 every month, he said, adding that one of his government's goals was to reduce the role ofmiddlepersons, who "earn too much profit" and engage in "hoarding and profiteering".
"The farmer sells for too low a price and the people have to pay a huge price" as the chain from the farmer to the customer was too long, PM Imran added.
Noting that 2019 was the year of stabilisation and 2020 would be that of growth and employment opportunities, he said more big projects were coming soon as well as industrialisation and housing plans.
"We are injecting a lot of money into [utility] stores," he said.