ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet has approved a relief package, aiming to stabilise commodity prices and to provide relief to general public”, prime minister’s aide Firdous Ashiq Awan announced Tuesday.

Addressing media special assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on information and broadcasting said Prime Minister Imran Khan, in the cabinet meeting, had approved multi-pronged strategy to control the fresh wave of price hike in the country. She said viewing the ongoing sugar crisis, the government has decided to lift restrictions on the import of sugar with immediate effect. She said a framework is being prepared to lift regulatory duty on imported sugar, meanwhile the export of sugar has been completely banned. According to reports, during the meeting government also decided to provide a monthly subsidy of Rs2 billion to utility stores for the next five months so that the prices of essential food items including wheat, sugar, rice, pulses and ghee can be curbed. “Utility stores have been directed to sell a 20-kilogramme bag of wheat at Rs800, sugar at Rs70 per kg, ghee at Rs175 per kg while rice and pulses will be sold at 20 per cent reduced price,” SAPM said. She also announced that the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) will issue ration cards before the month of Ramazan, and would provide a discount of 25-30 per cent on essential items to deserving people. She said, additionally, the government will open 2,000 “youth stores” in collaboration with USC.