Minister urges officials to use PBS monitoring app for ensuring price stability across provinces 

In a bid to ensure consistent prices across provinces, Muhammad Sami Saeed, the Caretaker Minister for Planning, urged Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners on Tuesday to rigorously utilise the Decision Support System (DSS) app developed by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) for effective price monitoring. 

According to a press release issued today, Muhammad Sami Saeed chaired a meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) in Islamabad.  

The gathering focused on essential aspects such as the prices and supply of essential commodities, the margin between wholesale and retail prices, and the availability of necessary items. 

During the meeting, the Chief Statistician from PBS presented the price movements of 51 essential items collected from the markets in 17 cities.  

Minister Saeed stressed the importance of maintaining price stability across provinces and urged participants to oversee the supply of essential items, available stock levels, and pricing mechanisms. 

Highlighting the critical role of administrative oversight and monitoring, Minister Saeed emphasised the need for vigilance in ensuring price stability.  

The meeting also explored the potential utilization of remote sensing technology provided by SUPARCO to enhance monitoring of cropped areas and predict the supply situation of essential food items in the provinces. 

Encouraging the exploration and implementation of remote sensing capabilities, the minister aimed to strengthen monitoring and oversight capacities.  

He underscored the importance of continued vigilance and proactive measures to address fluctuations in commodity prices and ensure a smooth supply chain. 

Representatives from the Ministry of Industries and Commerce, utility stores, and provincial governments attended the meeting, signifying a collaborative effort to maintain stability in commodity prices.