PM announces historic relief package of Rs120 billion

November 3, 2021: Prime Minister Imran Khan has announced a historic relief package of 120 billion rupees to provide essential commodities to twenty million families on subsidized rates. 

Addressing the nation on Wednesday, he said this amount will be shared both by federal and provincial governments. He said under the package, three essential commodities including ghee, flour and pulses will be provided to the families at thirty percent discount rates.

The Prime Minister said multiple programs worth 260 billion rupees are continuing under the umbrella of the Ehsaas programme which are benefitting 20 million families.

He said massive funding of fourteen billion rupees has been earmarked for Kamyab Pakistan Programme to support weaker segments of the society.

The Prime Minister said loans to the tune of thirty billion rupees have so far been disbursed under Kamyab Jawan Programme to help the youth earn their livelihoods. 

The Prime Minister said health card is one of our flagship projects under which treatment up to one million rupees is allowed to the cardholder.

He said the entire population of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been provided with these health cards whilst this facility will be provided to the residents of Islamabad by December this year and to the entire population of Punjab by March next year.

Imran Khan pointed out that the higher price of essential commodities is an international phenomenon. According to the Bloomberg Commodity index, the prices of commodities have increased by fifty percent in one year time. However, inflation in our country is nine percent.

Giving a complete comparison of the prices of commodities at the international market and in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said gas prices have increased by 116 percent in the United States but in Pakistan, its price has not been enhanced. Only the price of imported gas has witnessed an increase.

The Prime Minister said there has been a hundred percent increase in the price of petroleum products in the international market whilst we have raised them by thirty-three percent.

He said the prices of petroleum products in Pakistan are the lowest except the ones which are the producers. He said we have reduced taxes to keep the prices of petroleum products at the lower level.

He said we have tried to pass on the minimum impact of the increased prices. He was confident that the prices of commodities will see a decline after the winter season. He said the benefit of this will be extended to the people.    

The Prime Minister urged the businessmen to enhance the salaries of their workers enabling them to cope with the price hike.

Recalling the difficult economic situation inherited by the present government, the Prime Minister thanked Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and China for extending financial support to Pakistan in difficult times.

The Prime Minister said that we had to go to the IMF to pay the external liabilities.

Imran Khan said we spent the first year in stabilizing the economy. Then, the outbreak of Covid-19 affected the entire world including Pakistan.

He, however, said the prudent decisions on the part of the National Command and Operation Center helped cope with the situation in an effective manner.

He said we opted for smart lockdowns in order to protect the livelihoods. He said the world community also acknowledged our efforts strategy against the pandemic.

Radio Pakistan