ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for plotning, Development Reform Statistics Division Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar has said that Government is committed to providing relief to marginalized sections of society through checking profiteering and hoarding and effective monitoring and implementation of price control of essential food items.

The minister was chairing a presentation by Statistics Division here at Islamabad on Monday. Secretary Statistics Division Ms. Shaista Sohail gave presentation which was also attended by senior officials of Ministries of plotning and Statistics.

It is pertinent to mention that Prime Minister had assigned additional portfolio of Ministry of Statistics to Makhdum Khusro Bakhtyar on December 12, 2018. The Minister was apprised that inflation for essential kitchen items has been less than 1% since august 2018.

The minister directed Statistics Division to gather data of essential food items on Mondays rather than Thursdays to have a clear picture of prices of key items in startning of week. Noting that poor market information leads to profiteering and hoarding, minister called for shut collaboration between all stakeholders including market committees and district administration across country.

The minister directed that mechanism should be devised to educate public on economic statistics specificly trends in consumer price index (CPI) and inflation.

He underscored need to disseminate information to general public through media to enable consumers to be vigilant and informed of prices of essential kitchen items adding that he shall soon have a assembly with Federal Minister for Information in this regard.

Secretary Statistics Division informed that Pakistan Bureau of statistics is following international standards while gathering data.