TLTP
ISLAMABAD
Ministry of National Food Security and Research (NFS&R) with the help of Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) will chalk out an action plan to tackle collusive market practices of wheat cartels.
This was stated by Secretary NFS&R Omar Hamid Khan on Thursday while having a meeting with Rahat Kunain Hassan, Chairperson Competition Commission of Pakistan.
Omar said that the Ministry of National Food Security and Research is working hard to eliminate the gap between supply and demand of wheat.
During the meeting it was discussed that Punjab has announced its interim wheat policy on 2nd July 2020 and the Sindh government may announce its Wheat Release Policy, without any further delay. The government is exploring GTG wheat procurement/import from Central Asian countries. In addition to the private sector, the public sector including provincial governments, PASSCO and Trading Corporation of Pakistan may instantaneously invite tenders/ bids from the private sector for import of wheat in the country.
It is pertinent to mention that the public sector has procured 6,596,229 tons wheat in year 2020.While wheat stock on 16-07-2020 was 6,700,403 tons and stock on 16-07-2019 was 7,711,259 tons. The government has set the wheat support price at Rs1,400 per 40 kg while India set the wheat support price at Rs1,650 per 40 kg.
In 2019, CCP had imposed a penalty of Rs75 million on Pakistan Flour Mills Association for taking decisions with respect to fixing the price of wheat flour and the quantities of production of wheat flour by its member mills.
