PESHAWAR
People of every walk of life including politicians, economists and civil society here Monday highly appreciated the launching of Ehsas Riyayat Ration Scheme by the Prime Minister that would benefit over 20 million households including 130 million people the country.
Senior economists and financial analysts besides Government officials said that provision of 30 percent monthly subsidy on daily use food items to around 20 million households was a substantial relief to price-hike stricken masses besides a historic step forward to ebbaway inflation and price-hike.
Dr Muhammad Naeem, Assistant Professor Economics Department, University of Swabi told APP on Monday that flour, pulses, cooking oil and ghee were the most common food kitchen items being used by poor people and increase of its prices has put extra burden on poor strata especially low income groups and salaried class.
He said people were spending a substantial amount from their hard-earned money on these kitchen items from their limited resources and launching of the ration subsidy scheme by the Prime Minister was a great blessing for millions of poor people.
Dr. Naeem said prices of petroleum products were low in Pakistan compare to other countries, adding the oil prices in global market had increased by 100% but Pakistan shifted minimum of the burden.
Inspite of high prices of petroleum products in international markets, he said the Prime Minister has recently announced reduction of Rs10 per litre in petroleum and diesel prices besides Rs5 per unit in electricity tariff, which was highly praised worthy.
Dr Naeem claimed that Turkey, US, China, and Germany had been facing highest inflation despite its rich economies in the wake of coronavirus pandemic but Pakistan made no increase except for the one being imported.
He said the ration subsidy package was apart from the ongoing different programs under the Prime Minister’s Ehsaas Initiative facilitating millions of poor people.
Nazim village Dheri Ishaq Nowshera, Bahdar Khan said that despite the prevailing economic situation, the Prime Minister has won hearts and minds of people of Pakistan after launching a historic Ration Subsidy scheme for them today at Islamabad.
“This package would prove as shield against inflation besides a landmark step forward to arrest the price-hike,” he said. He maintained that over 53percent population would be directly benefited in the country.
Mohibullah Khan, Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock said despite various economic and monetary challenges inherited by PTI Government and coronavirus pandemic, he said Prime Minister has launched the historic Ration Subsidy scheme underwhich 30 percent discount on ghee, flour, and pulses would be provided to over 130 million people.
He said the people from Karachi to Chitral and Gawadar to South Waziristan would be benefited. “ This program was launched for poor people of Pakistan including KP and merged tribal districts,” he said, adding the package can easily be implemented through utility stores and others general stores as it was most suitable for business point of view also.
Senior economist, Sumbal Riaz has also welcomed the PM’s ration subsidy package and termed it historic.
She said PTI Government had inherited the crippling economy with heavy debt burden, which caused inflation and price-hike in the country due to wrong policies of the past governments. She said the wrong economic policies of the previous Governments has increased value of dollar against rupee that caused inflation and price-hike in open market.
On the other hands, she said, “PTI Government had saved the country from bankruptcy and default after adaptation of tight monetary and fiscal policies and today the country’s GDP was growing in upward trajectory.”
She said coronavirus pandemic has made negative effects on the country’s economy especially on agriculture, livestock, industries, transport and textile sectors and time would be required to bring the economy back to pre-COVID position.
However, she said the Government’s timely economic policies, reforms and projects launched to counter coronavirus have not only protected people from hunger and starvation but kept running economic wheel.
She said Pakistan’s economic was moving on right direction and the relief package was likely to be extended after completion of its specified period.
“It is extremely unfortunate that prices of daily commodities and transport fare have not been reduced by shopkeepers and transporters despite signficant reduction in prices of petroleum, diesel and electricity products by the Government.”
The tendency of artificial price hike needed to be curbed through strict implementation of laws, she concluded.
