Petrol, Ghee, wheat flour, sugar costlier in Pakistan: Imran Khan
Petrol and diesel prices in Pakistan: As the Economic Coordination Committee of the Pakistan Cabinet approved the hike of the items at the Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan, the essential food items, including ghee, sugar and wheat flour, have become costlier in the country.
The Committee cited an "increasing gap between the subsidised prices and the prevailing market prices" as the reason behind the hike.
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After the revision, the ghee prices will spike by 53 percent. One kilogram of ghee will cost Rs 260, while it used to be Rs 170. 20 kg wheat flour will cost Rs 950 while it was Rs 800. The Sugar's price has been revised from Rs 68 to Rs 85 per kg, witnessing a hike of 25 percent.
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The hike comes a day after the Pakistan government permitted the increase of petrol and diesel prices. The petrol is now being retailed at Rs 118.09 per litre. One litre diesel in the country costs Rs 116.5.
On the petrol price hike, the information and broadcasting ministry Fawad Chaudhry said that the government has no other choice. The fuel has become dearer in the international market, he said, adding, that Pakistan has still kept it the lowest in the region.
In 2020, the poverty in Pakistan increased from 4.4 percent to 5.4 percent, according to an estimate of the World Bank.
As per the estimation, the poverty ratio in the country has been projected to remain at 39.2 percent in 2021-2022.
-PTC News
