ISLAMABAD - Utility Stores Corporation (USC) administration is mulling to shut down its almost 472 stores running in deficit and earning less than Rs 0.1 million per month, revealed a document.
It said that a total number of 4488 Utility Stores are running across the country and among these 4470 stores are running in deficit while only 18 Utility Stores are earning profit. As a result, USC has to face a loss of Rs 480 million per month.
According to document, a network of 4488 Utility Stores is working in all provinces including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B). Besides this, 812 franchises are also working in the country. The Punjab province stands at the top position with 2,294 stores while in Sindh 636, KP 1103, Balochistan 278, FATA 25, AJK 65 and Gilgit-Baltistan 87 utility stores are running.
The Utility Stores situated in the regions including Abbottabad 482, Islamabad 494, Karachi 364, Lahore 508, Multan 679, Peshawar 791, Quetta 265, Sargodha 607 and Sukkur 280 are running in the deficit. There are 472 Utility Stores in the nine regions, which are earning less than Rs 0.1 million per month while these stores are working in Abbottabad region 21, Islamabad 23, Karachi 44, Lahore 28, Multan 50, Peshawar 105, Quetta 103, Sargodha 39 and Sukkur 59.
The USC administration is pondering to shut down operation of these stores, which have sale of less than Rs 0.1 million per month to lessen deficit. The document further said that there are 5807 regular, 3820, contractual 820 and daily wagers 3649 working at utility store. Overall there are 480 surplus employees in different cadres from grade 09 to 22 in the USC.
