PM orders developing mobile phone app for fair wheat procurement

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed the authorities concerned to develop a mobile phone application to ensure transparent procurement of wheat and ordered the suspension of two senior officers of Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (Passco) over their negligence in this regard.

The prime minister, chairing a high-level meeting to review the demand and supply and procurement of wheat by the federal government, ordered the suspension of the managing director and general manager procurement of Passco for their failure to implement the earlier directives of utilising the technology in the wheat procurement.

Calling for crops’ insurance and a third-party audit of Passco’s stock, he instructed the organisation to procure an additional 400,000 metric tonnes of wheat through a transparent process, the official news agency reported.

The prime minister said the government would not tolerate any economic loss to the farmers and resolved to take all-out measures for their prosperity and bringing food security in the country.

He assured that the government would reward the outstanding Passco centres and officers during the procurement process.

Federal cabinet members Muhammad Aurangzeb, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Ahad Khan Cheema, Jam Kamal Khan and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Coordinator to PM Rana Ehsan Afzal and relevant senior officers attended the meeting.