NPMC for making efforts to avoid hoarding, black marketing, smuggling

ISLAMABAD – National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) Monday urged the provincial governments and departments concerned to make consolidated and coordinated efforts to avoid hoarding, black marketing and smuggling to ensure uninterrupted supply of basic commodities at affordable prices across the country. A meeting of National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) was held at the Finance Division to review the price trend of essential commodities especially wheat flour, eggs, chicken, sugar and edible oil during the last week. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Ministry of Industries and Production, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of National Food Security & Research, provincial administrations, PASSCO, PBS, CCP, FBR and senior officers of the Finance Division. Secretary, Ministry of Finance briefed NPMC about weekly SPI that increased by 0.5 percent. NPMC noted decline in prices of wheat, sugar, tomatoes, onion, eggs and potatoes during the week. The chief secretaries from respective provincial governments updated NPMC about availability of sufficient stocks of wheat and average per day release by the provinces which was stable throughout the country. The NPMC directed the provincial and district administrations to proactively monitor the prices of chicken and edible oil in order to ensure smooth supply at fair prices across the country. The NPMC directed Secretary Food, Balochistan and MD, PASSCO to make an immediate arrangement for lifting 20,000MT wheat from PASSCO to ensure steady supply of wheat flour in the province.