ISLAMABAD - National Assembly Standing Committee on Industries and Production on Wednesday asked the government to ensure payment of three months’ salary to employees of Pakistan Still Mills (PSM) before Eidul Azha.
The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Asad Omer, discussed the matters related to Leather Craft Development Company (LCDC) and Spun Yarn Research and development Company (SYDC). The meeting also discussed the matters related to PSM and progress so far being made in the privatisation of the mill in order to enhance performance and streamline it working efficiencies.
The committee expressed its concerns over the non-payments of salary to PSM for five months and recommended the government for ensure timely payments of their dues. He recommended the government for taking appropriate steps to minimise the miseries and problems being faced by the widows and pensioners of PSM.
The committee directed the Privatization Commission to submit a detail report on the steps being taken for the improvement of the PSM in order to save the losses of billion of rupees borne by national exchequer due the closure of the mill. The committee also asked for finding main reasons behind the disconnecting the gas supply connection of the mill and objective behind such move.
The committee also decided to privatise the leather Craft Development Company Multan and Spun yarn Research and Development Company in order to improve their efficiencies and services delivery as well as making them profitable entities. The meeting also expressed its concerns over the artificial price hike of sugar in the domestic markets and asked the Competition Commission of Pakistan to investigate the matter and Submit report before the committee.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Industries and Production Secretary Khyzer Hayat Gondal informed the committee about current sugar stocks in the country.
He informed that there was no shortage of sugar in the country as about 1.1 million tons of surplus sugar stocks were available in the country. He informed that the government had allowed the millers to export about 725,000 tons of sugar and out of the total about 400,000 tons was exported.
The secretary further informed the committee that the government was not paying any export rebate to millers. He said that the main reason behind the recent price spike of sugar in local markets was controlled supply of the commodity by the millers in the local markets. He said that prices of the commodity had registered decreasing trend during recent days in international markets due to which sugar price has reduced in local markets too.
The members of National Assembly including Qasir Ahmad Shaikh, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon Sajida Begum, Maulana Muahmmad Gohar Shah and Iftiharud Din attend the meeting. Besides, senior official of Ministry of Industries and Production, Chief Executive Officer of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, LCDC and SYDRC also attended the meeting.