Minister for Industries and Production Ghulam Murtaza Khan Jatoi said Friday that the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) is operating 5,455 stores throughout the country, providing commodities of daily use to masses at affordable rates.
Answering a question in the Senate, the minister said that in Punjab there are 2,993 stores; in Sindh there are 671, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 1,312, Balochistan has 294, AJK 80 while 105 retail outlets are operating in in Gilgit Baltistan.
He said that out of the 5,455 stores, 4,472 stores are regular stores of the Corporation being operated by the corporation itself while 983 were functioning as franchise stores.
He said the data relating to complaints of the stores was being maintained at the regional level.
Answering another question, the minister said a Rs 4.25-billion subsidy was provided to Utility Stores Corporation under Ramazan relief packages during the last three years.
He added that subsidy on sugar procured through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), Ministry of Commerce was discontinued at the directions of the ECC of the Cabinet’s decision.
However, he said a quantity of 204,978 metric tonnes already procured by TCP for USC was provided from 2014 to May 2016.
He said the Ministry of Industries and Production is implementing 23 ongoing PSDP projects in various districts of all the provinces during the current financial year.
He said the establishment of an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) at Gwadar is at preliminary planning stages. As much as 1,000 acres of land has been leased by the government of Balochistan at Karwat, Gwadar.
He said PC-II for appointment of a consultant had been approved and EPZA had hired the services of M/s Techno Consultant International for planning, designing and preparation of PC-I for Gwadar EPZ.
He said, out of the total portfolio, Ministry of Industries and Production was sponsoring 12 projects worth Rs 5.740 billion and allocation of Rs 313.893 million during CFY 2015-16 for development of infrastructure and establishment/promotion of industries in less developed areas of Balochistan, KPK and Sindh.
Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal, while replying to a question relating to his ministry, said at present there are a number of Chinese nationals working on various projects in Pakistan.
However, in view of the security considerations, he added it would be appropriate not to make the number public.
He said the responsibility of security of Chinese nationals working in Pakistan on various projects lies with the Ministry of Interior, being the focal agency responsible for security of the Chinese.
He said a Special Security Division (SSD) has been raised comprising 9,000 army personnel and 6,000 civilian armed forces, which would be deployed to ensure security of the Chinese working on CPEC projects.