ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Food Security Jamshed Iqbal Cheema on Wednesday said that there is no shortage of wheat in the country and within a week citizens to get flour on fixed target subsidy rates.
Talking to the PTV news channel, Cheema said that the government is working on a model for the provision of targeted subsidy to the lower middle class and last years’ blanket subsidy would now be replaced with target subsidy.
He said targeted cash subsidy was a short-term measure to protect the vulnerable populations and would be followed by medium- to long-term measures to create a direct link between farmers and customers.
He said the government has announced to give targeted cash subsidies on wheat flour and sugar up to 40% of the population, adding, the government would increase the income and affordability of people to buy commodities.
Cheema said that a bumper crop of wheat and sugar has been harvested this year and “best prices” were paid to the farmers as well.
While responding to a question, he said the government was doing its best to enhance agriculture yield by strengthening linkages between government, researchers, and farmers.
PTI-led government’s policy of agricultural transformation is not only for the food security of the country but also addresses the basic nutritional needs of every citizen, he added.
He said that the food-related crisis would be over soon and prices would normalize as on strict directives of the Prime Minister a team was constituted to formulate a strategy and introduced a strict system against profiteering.