The federal government will start implementing the Ramazan Relief Package worth Rs. 7.492 billion through Utility Stores Corporation (USC) from Monday (March 4, 2024).
Ramazan is expected to begin on the 11th of March, 2024; therefore, the federal cabinet last month approved the starting of the Ramazan Relief Package from the 4th of March 2024 till the last day of Ramazan.
Sources said that the federal government will provide relief to the targeted beneficiaries on 19 essential items. These 19 essential items included Atta, Sugar, Dal Channa, Dal Masoor, White Gram, Rice Basmati, Rice Selia, Broken Rice, Oil, Dal Moong Washed, Baisen (Chakki), Dates, Beverages/Carbonated Drinks, Squashes & Syrups, Black Tea, Milk, and spices.
The government will also spend Rs. 145 million on an awareness campaign on Electronic and Print media of Ramadan package, sources added.
The Ministry of Industries had informed the cabinet that the government has been providing relief to the general public during Ramazan by selling 19 items at subsidized rates at outlets of USC, since 1991.
It is pertinent to note that the federal government has allocated Rs. 35 billion in the budget for the financial year 2023-24 for subsidy on essential items for implementation of the Prime Minister’s Relief Package 2023-2024 and Ramazan Relief Package 2024 through the USC.
It merits mention here that due to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) restrictions on un-targeted subsidies, the government has approved the subsidy provision to the targeted beneficiaries of BISP registered under PMT-40.
The Ministry of Industries and Production had proposed to the cabinet that the USC is currently selling subsidized items to the 26.92 million households registered with BISP under PMT-40 so 19 items of subsidy be disbursed to targeted beneficiaries of BISP registered under PMT-60 instead of PMT-40 to serve additional 12.73 million households.
