Islamabad: Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Wednesday directed the authorities concerned to start working on a plan to provide targeted subsidies to the country’s low income groups — a news source reported. He added that it was the duty and top priority of the government to provide basic commodities to the poor segments of society.
The PM made these comments while chairing a meeting on the matter of subsidies. On the occasion, he stated that the government was working on creating an effective subsidy system in order to transparently provide basic commodities in a targeted manner to the disenfranchised sections of society. During the session, additional proposals were also considered to improve the system of subsidies even further.
The premier issued instructions to the special assistant on social protection, the secretary finance and the Utility Stores Corporation to finalise the various proposals presented in the meeting so they could be executed in a timely manner. He stated that funds from the national exchequer should be used judiciously in this regard. He further highlighted that in the past, deficiencies in the system had allowed various undeserving individuals to take undue advantage of the subsidies; and warned the officials concerned from repeating these mistakes in the future.
