Utility stores

This letter refers to the article ‘Rs7 bn subsidy for 1,000 items at Utility Stores’ (Jan 8, 2020). The prime minister’s new relief package is a misuse of taxpayers’ money.

The poorer sections of the population are not going to benefit from the new subsidies. Utility Stores are not accessible to the masses as they are placed in select areas. Therefore, it is not financially feasible for a poor family to travel to the designated locations of such stores. Many of the subsidised items available in the stores are also said to be secretly sold by employees for higher rates in the open market. The government should create a new system of subsidies that will actually benefit the poorer populations.

Erum A Baig

Karachi