PM takes serious notice of price hike despite slashed fuel prices

Jun 03, 2020: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday taking serious notice of the inflated prices of essential commodities despite reduction in petroleum rates directed the concerned authorities at federal and provincial levels for a necessary action.

He also asked the National Price Monitoring Committee to monitor the prices of essential commodities on weekly basis as already directed by the federal cabinet and devise a mechanism to bring down the prices of essential commodities.

In a letter addressed to Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of four provinces and Gilgit Baltistan, and also to his Adviser on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, the Prime Minister stressed that the benefit of price reduction of fuel be passed on to common man.

"The Prime Minister has desired that the Chief Ministers/Chief Secretaries of the provinces shall personally look into the matter and make every effort to ensure that the impact of the reduction of fuel prices must correspondingly reflect in the prices of essential commodities on daily basis," an excerpt of the letter read, as shared by PM Media Office.

"The Prime Minister has taken serious view of the fact that while the federal government had reduced POL prices drastically in the past few months, there is no corresponding reduction in the prices of essential commodities rather these are showing upward trend," it added.

The Prime Minister mentioned that "there is no logic as to why flour prices should increase when harvesting of the wheat crop has just recently been concluded."

APP