KARACHI  -  Federal Commerce Minis­ter Jam Kamal Khan said that Prime Minister Muhammed Shehbaz Sharif has increased the amount of Ramazan Relief Package from Rs7.5 billion to Rs12.5 billion to provide relief to the common men.

He stated this while talking to media on the occasion of his visit to a Utility Store here on Monday. The minister said that the federal government was taking initiatives for the provi­sion of relief to the public.

He said that around all the items were available at the Util­ity Store in reasonable prices. The Utility Stores were not meant for solution to beat the inflation, he said, adding that these were merely a step for re­lief. Kamal said that there was a need to balance the Price Con­trol Mechanism. He said that the onus was on the govern­ment to put the house in order.

He said that the government had to boost the industry and manage the matter of energy crisis in the country.

He further said that there were six to seven projects in the pipeline. Replying to a question about law and order situation, he said that there was a need to review the issue of unemploy­ment and address the law and order situation.

He further said that the feder­al and provincial governments were on the same page regard­ing the law and order situation and other challenges.

Replying to another question, he said when we borrow from IMF then we had to return it in a good manner. Earlier, the Minis­ter Jam Kamal visited the Utility Store and took details of the re­lief being provided to the people.

INFLATION, IMPROVEMENT OF TRADE MAJOR CHALLENGES: JAM

Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Monday said that the control over in­creasing inflation and improve­ment of trade in the country were big challenges for the in­cumbent government. 

He said that the federal gov­ernment was seriously contem­plating the current situation and would address it in the leadership of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif.

While talking to media dur­ing his visit to pay homage to father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah at the mausoleum, he said that the federal and provincial gov­ernments would have to jointly address the challenge of ram­pant inflation. He said that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had set conditions under that the government could not provide subsidy. The Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said that the governments would have to make efforts for balancing supply and demand chain to provide relief to the people. He said improvement of trade is a big challenge for us.’ He further said that the Special Investment Facilitation Centre (SIFC) had been established to facilitate the investors and im­prove the investment process in the country. 

Kamal said that Pakistan had to engage with the world. He said that Africa was a big opportunity, which had not been tapped so far. Replying to a question, he said that they would try to persuade Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to join the cabinet. He said that PPP, MQM-Pakistan, National Party and other parties had played their part to form the government. 

Answering a question, Jam Kamal said that there were many crises including energy and mismanagement of power in Gas sector. Earlier, the Min­ister laid a wreath at the mau­soleum of father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah and offered Fateha. He also prayed for the development of the country and inked his im­pressions in the visitors book.