FAISALABAD, Nov 12 (APP):Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Farrukh Habib Friday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was providing maximum relief to people despite financial difficulties.
He was addressing the media at a function, held in connection with the ‘World Physiology Friday’ at the Government College University Faisalabad here.
He said that COVID-19 had badly affected the economy all over the world and the worst inflation in the last 50 years history of the world had been witnessed at the international level.
He said that the opposition was trying to create anarchy in the country in the name of inflation by announcing a long march, but they would fail in their designs.
He said the government did not care about any long march or quick march of the PDM [Pakistan Democratic Movement], adding that the government was working for welfare of masses and development and prosperity of the country and it would complete its constitutional tenure.
The minister of state said the opposition had lost its goodwill due to its negative policies and it would once again fail like in the past. People were fully aware of the opposition negative tactics.
He said the government was taking measures to lessen difficulties of people. He hoped that inflation would come down when prices in the international market would reduce during the upcoming months.
He said that the government had imported sugar to defeat the sugar mafia and the commodity was available at the rate of Rs 90 per kg in the open market. However, the price of local sugar would also be reduced in the days to come as crushing season in the country was starting from Nov 15, he added.
He said farmers earned additional income from sugarcane production during the last three years due to better price of the crop and 25 per cent additional production of sugarcane had been recorded in the country during the current year.
He said the prices of petroleum products, cooking oil, etc., had been up in the international market as well as transportation charges had also been increased from $2,000 to $10,000.
One of the major causes behind inflation was disturbance in the supply chain, and the situation would be improved soon, he hoped.
He said that there was no shortage of wheat flour in the Punjab province as 20kg bag was available for Rs 1100 in the open market, but the same quantity of wheat flour in Sindh province was being sold for Rs 1500.
Farrukh said that for the first time in the country’s history, Pakistan was going to become food surplus country as record per acre production of different crops including cotton, sugarcane, maize and rice had increased.
He said that the government had announced a food subsidy of Rs 120 billion for 12 million people in the country.
The state minister said the country’s population was increasing by 5 million annually at the rate of 2.5 per cent, due to which food needs were also increasing.
