AGP directed to present report

ABDUL RASHEED AZAD

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Wednesday directed the Auditor General of Pakistan to present a report on the standard of edible and non-edible items being sold at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets within a week.

The PAC meeting held here under the Chairmanship of Rana Tanvir Hussian, took serious notice of substandard ghee and oil sale at the USC outlets, and recommended to refer the issue to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for further investigation.

Audit officials informed the meeting that the USC was unable to provide quality assurance certificate in its 64 regions, adding that it purchases cooking oil and ghee worth of Rs23 billion per month.

The chairman PAC said the committee had directed the USC to destroy the substandard oil and ghee but instead of implementing the PAC directions of destroying sub-standard cooking oil and ghee, the USC has started an investigation. The committee said this organization was established for providing cheap and quality food products to the people.

It also recommended that officials of the Punjab Food Authority and Quality Assurance be also summoned in the next meeting to examine the quality of products being sold at the USC outlets.

The USC Managing Director, Umer Lodhi, while briefing the panel, dispelled the allegations of substandard food items being sold at the USC outlets, and said that no such items were being sold at the USC. He added that all the brands’ quality control certificates were available with the corporation. He further claimed that no substandard oil or ghee was being sold at any store of the corporation. “We never hesitate to implement the recommendations and directions of the PAC”, he stated.

Replying to a query about high prices being charged at the USC outlets of various products, he denied that the prices of milk, sugar, flour, and ghee, were yet stable and there was no any price difference but in the coming days the price of ghee would increase 30 percent due to prices of manufacturing. He said that the USC network has been playing an important role in providing essential items at discounted prices to the masses as the prices of the USC are significantly low as compared to the prices prevailing in domestic markets.

Talking about shortage of essential items in the Utility Stores, due to a big price difference of essential commodities from market rates and less prices in the USC, there was unexpectedly high sale, leading to shortage of some products items. The USC was committed to fulfilling its promise of providing essential commodities to the general public at subsidized rates, he added.

Lodhi further said that “a special Ramazan discount Package” would start from April 1st at all Utility Stores of the country with affordable rates, giving subsidy to over 19 essential commodities. He said in the light of the present experiences of high prices of food items in market, a comprehensive strategy would be taken for the provision of best facilities to people during Ramazan.

Lodhi said that a special mechanism was in place to monitor stock and availability of necessary food items at the utility stores across the country.