Daily Times

Managing Director Utility Stores Corporation (USC), Umer Lodhi has announced that subsidies at Utility stores would continue and beneficiaries registered under Ehsaas programme would now get ‘targeted subsidies’ on essential Kitchen items at all Utility stores from the end of July, 2021. Federal government has initially completed its trail for targeted subsidies programmes for Ehsaas beneficiaries through IT integration between Ehsaas and Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC) which would be functional soon, he said while speaking to a Private news channel.

The Ehsaas cards will enable the holders to purchase basic consumer items like wheat flour, pulses, rice, sugar, ghee/edible oil on subsidized rates, he added.

USC with the collaboration of Ehsaas emergency program was identifying all genuine and deserving people for targeted subsidy programs, MD said.

He said Ehsaas has been working with USC to integrate their IT systems with those of state-run USC so that they can identify Ehsaas beneficiaries, deserving people along with Ehsaas cards would visit USC stores and get subsidized rate kitchen items. He said the installation of hardware across the country at USC stores would be complete soon, adding targeted subsidies will be given on selected essential commodities. Targeted subsidization is more beneficial for pro-poor economic welfare. Using the Ehsaas data, this new system will improve the efficiency of the subsidy delivery mechanism for better results, he added. The government under the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken a fundamental decision that subsidies should be targeted to benefit the poor rather than being untargeted, he mentioned. He said targeted subsidy programmes would prove more effective, as the benefit of subsidies flows exclusively to those in need. Replying to a query, he said the price for previous kitchen items would not be changed in USC stores as the government has taken strict measures to curtail prices of essential commodities to provide relief to the common people.