Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that all efforts should be made for provision of relief to the common man and directed for a tough drive against hoarding and profiteering by effective utilisation of technology.
The prime minister was chairing a high-level meeting to review steps on the Schedule Price Control. The meeting was attended by Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, Special Assistant on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, interior secretary, chief secretaries of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chief commissioner of Islamabad and other senior officials.
During the meeting, the prime minister directed for ensuring implementation of a systematic mechanism for keeping a strict check on the prices of essential edible items in the wholesale markets on daily basis and the need for regular public information about their prices by the concerned authorities and administration.
He said an organised system should be developed without burdening the poor people. He also emphasised upon the need to adopt an organised strategy for making the markets auction process transparent to discourage farmers’ exploitation, enabling them to get fair profit of their hard work.
The prime minister stressed upon the need for expediting steps for formation of market committees and enhancing their performance so that prompt action could be taken against hoarders and unfair profit makers.
He said the government was determined to provide relief to the common man and all steps in this regard would be taken.
Provision of sustenance to the poor man was the responsibility of the state and no effort would be spared in this respect, he assured.
The prime minister said proposal to provide food stuff to the deserving people under the Ehsaas programme was also under consideration.
The chief secretary Punjab gave a comprehensive briefing over the legal framework to fix prices of the edibles and to control hoarding.
He said traders and manufacturing representatives were included in the task force to control the unusual increase in the prices of edible items, besides continuous review of the prices of seven essential food items including flour, ghee, tomatoes, pulses etc was also being held.
The participants were further briefed that to control prices, a web portal had also been launched under which performance of price control magistrates were being regularly examined. Moreover, a principled mechanism was being formulated to hold review of fixing of prices of edible commodities with regard to cost of production and climate impacts.
The meeting was informed about certain concerns of the Nanbai Association for maintaining the price of roti. The chief secretary KP briefed the meeting about the crackdown on the hoarders and racketeers in the province.
The prime minister was further apprised that for provision of relief to the masses and to control the prices, sasta bazaars were being regularly arranged in the Punjab province. The sasta bazaars were functional on three days a week in the Federal Capital.
BOI:
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday directed Board of Investment for early completion of consultation process with the relevant stakeholders for streamlining and simplifying laws and regulatory framework relating to business in various sector of economy.
The prime minister also directed that the process of, “guillotining” unnecessary regulations, should be completed as soon as possible so as to improve ease of doing business and facilitate business community especially start-up companies.
He was chairing a meeting on removing regulatory hurdles at Prime Minister’s office. The meeting was attended by Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Advisor on Institutional Reforms Dr. Ishrat Hussain, Chairman Board of Investment (BOI) Zubair Gilani, Punjab Minister for Industries Mian Aslam Iqbal, Country Director World Bank and senior officials, PM office’s media wing said in a press release.
Chairman BOI Zubair Gilani briefed that an extensive stakeholders’ consultation process was underway for removing hurdles in ease of doing business.
This process involved elimination of irrelevant or obsolete regulations, review of existing regulatory framework and amendment in existing laws. It was further informed that a digital “Business Regulatory Mapping Portal” has been designed to ensure transparency and accuracy in business transactions through E-Commerce. The automation of procedures would facilitate business community besides ensuring transparency in the system. The prime minister was informed by Punjab minister for industries that the provincial government had undertaken a number of initiatives to facilitate businesses including unifying taxes, eliminating inspections, offering one-window facilitation and introducing Punjab Smart Regulation Act.
