Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a relief package for the poor segment, who can’t afford the increase in petrol prices and other basic commodities. The announcement for the relief package was made by the Prime Minister during his address to the nation on 27th March 2022.
According to the details, the relief package is worth Rs. 28 billion and it will benefit 14 million families across the country with a stipend of Rs. 2,000 that will be disbursed using the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). The premier added the relief package will be provided on top of the current stipend being given by the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP). Furthermore, the newly announced relief package will be added into the upcoming budget.
Moreover, the Prime Minister has instructed the Utility Store Corporation (USC) to provide a 10 kilograms bag of flour for Rs. 400 to the poor. It is pertinent to mention that the Utility Store Corporation had announced an increase of Rs. 180 and Rs. 90 for a bag of 20KG and 10KG flour, respectively.
Earlier, it was being reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was going to announce a relief package for petrol, which will provide fuel at cheaper rates to motorcyclists, rickshaws, and cars up to 800cc engine capacity. However, the premier made no mention of such relief package.
The Prime Minister’s address, which began after a lengthy delay of almost three hours, comes a day after the government announced a massive increase of Rs. 30 per litre for all petroleum products in order to restore the International Monetary Fund (IMF) $6 billion programme.
Read more: Government Raises Petrol Prices.
The Federal Government has also announced a massive hike of Rs. 7 per unit in the price of electricity across the country, which will be implemented from July 1 in the form of basic tariff and monthly Fuel Charges Adjustment (FCA) alongside privatization of profitable distribution companies.
Read more: Govt to Increase Electricity Tariff by Rs. 7 to Meet IMF Demand.