Utility stores not being shut down, repeats Rana Tanveer as thousands laid off

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain has reiterated that the state-owned Utility Stores Corporation (USC) outlets are not being shut down.

Instead the utility stores will be improved with the support of the private sector, the minister said in today’s Senate session. He said, “PKR50 billion are being given as a subsidy to utility stores every year. [In previous years] PKR17 billion were given as a subsidy to utility stores under the Ramazan package.”

Thousands of Utility Stores Corp daily wagers sacked

The minister informed that this year, the government has allocated PKR20 billion for Ramazan subsidy package. “For the first time, 4 million people will be given cash assistance under the Ramazan package,” he said, adding that provinces will also give cash assistance to deserving people under the Ramazan package.

He added that in the past, Ramazan package experience has not turned out to be good with the utility stores. “The poor were not able to get good quality goods through utility stores,” so this year the government has kept the corporation out of the package.

Rana Tanveer said that only those utility stores are being closed that are not making profits. “The rights of permanent and contract employees of utility stores will be protected,” he added.

THOUSANDS OF DAILY WAGERS SACKED

This is not the first time that the Minister for Industries has said that the utility stores are not being shut down. He said the same thing in September last year, when the employees of the corporation held a strike against government’s decision to close down utility stores.

Govt plans restructuring, not closing Utility Stores: Rana Tanveer

That said, earlier this month, thousands of daily wagers of the utility stores corporation were laid off. Sources said that 2,860 daily wage employees have been laid off in the first phase. In the second phase, contract employees will be laid off, sources added.