Sindh Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah on Monday presided over a high-level meeting to review the availability of wheat, prevailing flour prices and progress of the ongoing province-wide campaign against wheat hoarding and illegal storage.
The meeting reviewed the results of intelligence-based and administrative operations being conducted across Sindh against those involved in the unauthorised accumulation and withholding of wheat from the open market. The meeting was informed that the provincial administration had taken over 1,544,194 bags of wheat, equivalent to 154,419.40 metric tonnes of wheat as per the decision of the provincial cabinet, which is double the size of total wheat procured during the current wheat procurement season.
The Chief Secretary appreciated the coordinated efforts of the district administrations, Food Department and other relevant agencies, stating that the sustained government action had helped curb speculative trading, improve the supply of wheat in the market and bring about a significant reduction in flour prices across the province.
The meeting was further informed that the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners had convened meetings with flour mill owners and other relevant stakeholders in their respective divisions to review wheat availability and prevailing flour prices. As a result of coordinated administrative measures and consultations with the milling industry, flour prices were reduced and the benefit of improved wheat supply was passed on to consumers.
In Karachi, the ex-mill price of flour was reduced by Rs 8 per kilogram which will subsequently lead to reduction in retail prices. The retail price of flour was fixed at Rs118 per kilogram in Larkana, Rs 125 per kilogram in Hyderabad, Rs122 per kilogram in Sukkur, and Rs118 per kilogram in Mirpurkhas and Rs 122 in Shaheed Benazirabad.
“The reduction in flour prices is a direct result of the Sindh Government’s timely intervention and firm action against hoarders and profiteers,” Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah said. He added that the provincial government would continue to take all necessary administrative and legal measures to protect consumers from artificial shortages and unjustified increases in the prices of essential commodities.
Chief Secretary Sindh Asif Hyder Shah made it clear that possession of a trading licence did not authorise any trader to withhold sale of wheat from the market, create an artificial shortage or manipulate prices. Licensed traders were required to conduct their businesses strictly in accordance with the law. He directed the district administrations and the Food Department to continue intelligence-based operations against undeclared and illegally stored wheat without discrimination. He further ordered regular inspection of warehouses, flour mills, chakkis, trading premises and other storage facilities to verify declared stocks and prevent artificial scarcity.
The Chief Secretary directed the Food Department to prepare a comprehensive taluka-wise database of wheat traders, flour mills and chakkis throughout the province. The database should include their licensing status, storage capacity, available wheat stocks and the quantity of wheat being released or processed, reported updated on daily basis.