ISLAMABAD: The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) plans to launch a new, affordable ghee brand for people. It will cost less than what’s available in local markets. The process to choose suppliers is already done.
Shahzad Khan, a USC Zonal Manager, spoke to Official Media. He said they asked ghee mills and companies to apply after opening tenders on April 4 at the USC head office. They need 65,000 metric tonnes of vanaspati and 32,500 metric tonnes of cooking oil.
He explained that the ghee and cooking oil will go to different areas based on need. He thinks the new ghee brand will be in stores after Eidul Fitr. Also, 150 stores in the zone are being updated.
He mentioned that sugar at the stores costs Rs15 less per kilogram than in the open market. Dates, drinks, special gram flour, rice, ghee, and other items are available too.
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He said they are trying to spend less and sell more. They check stores online to keep things clear, and they quickly fix people’s complaints.
In this year’s budget (FY25), the money for USC almost doubled compared to last year. Recently, there were ideas to change the corporation to save money or shut down 1,000 stores that were losing money.
Before, the government wanted to close USC because it wasn’t worth the billions spent on it. Prices of everything, including basic groceries, went up a lot due to inflation. The government, facing money problems, decided to cut costs and close USC.
Still, giving cheap groceries to low-income people in Pakistan is important. But there’s only one store for every 50,000 people. Plus, there were issues like corruption—in 2021, around 2,000 fake workers were getting paid without working at USC.
