Bread makers push for rate hike
The Pakistan Naanbai Association and the tandoor bodies of the twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad have issued a one-week notice to the government and Deputy Commissioners regarding the steep increase in prices of flour, fine flour, and commercial gas cylinders, demanding a rise in the prices of bread, naan, and paratha.
A joint convention of naanbai bodies from Islamabad and all districts of Punjab has been called in Rawalpindi after Eidul Azha. During this convention, a decision will be made either to officially announce the new prices of bread and naan or to launch a complete strike and protest.
Shafeeq Abbasi, the central president of the association, says a sack of red flour costs Rs6,000 from the mills to the tandoor, while fine flour is being sold at Rs7,200 per sack. Within a week, the price of regular flour has increased by Rs500 and fine flour by Rs600 - a trend that continues to rise, he adds.
"Despite the extreme heat, no tandoor has access to Sui gas. Every tandoor operator is forced to buy commercial gas cylinders for Rs14,000 each to operate.
Sui gas and LNG supplies are completely shut off. Electricity prices have also increased, while rental costs for tandoors and labour wages have gone up."
Additionally, the prices of ghee, oil, and dry milk have surged, he says and adds under these conditions it is impossible for them to sell affordable bread.
Abbasi demanded the government fix new, increased prices for bread; otherwise, after Eid, the All Punjab Tandoor Owners Convention will decide on strict measures.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
Maryam using provincial resources to complete all projects: Azma
LAHORE: Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari has said the Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is completing all developmental projects using provincial resources, with no federal project currently ongoing in Punjab. 'All development work is being carried out using the provincial budget,' she said, while addressing a joint press conference with Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat, here at DGPR on Thursday. Azma said the Punjab government had set a new precedent with exemplary cleanliness arrangements during Eid, which had been widely appreciated by the public. She announced that Punjab's annual budget would be presented in the Provincial Assembly on June 16. Making an important announcement, she said that the Chief Minister of Punjab had rejected any proposal for new taxes, and the upcoming budget would be tax-free. In order to expand the tax net, those who previously evaded taxes would now be brought into the system to increase state resources, she clarified. Praising the Chief Minister's initiatives, Azma Bokhari said 'her effective actions are causing envy in several circles.' She added that the Chief Minister was utilising all provincial resources to complete developmental projects, aiming for equal progress in all provinces so that every citizen can benefit. Azma Bokhari maintained that 'Gandapur is trying to become a cheap Maula Jatt, and that even Aleema Baji herself says they don't want to come to Islamabad, so they should consult their advisers before making any statements.' She further stated that the federal budget attempted to provide relief to the people, and due to the strict IMF programme, the federal government presented a balanced budget, while Punjab's tax-free budget will be presented on June 16. Azma criticized the Sindh government, saying 'they don't do their own work but express their frustration at Punjab.' She remarked that the Karachi Mayor hadn't even managed to lift garbage yet. Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat stated that Punjab has increased the education development budget by a record 400 percent, raising it from Rs 32 billion to Rs 110 billion. Similarly, the higher education budget was also being increased by up to 500 percent, he said. He said 'Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz believes education should have no boundaries, yet the KP government is showing hostility to students by instructing their Higher Education Department not to cooperate with students. If Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cannot provide laptops and scholarships to its students, it should at least allow them to receive support from other provinces,' he said. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
2 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Who raised parliament custodians' salaries
The country's defense minister, Khawaja Asif, started the controversy on Wednesday as he decried a phenomenal raise in the salaries and allowances of the custodians of the upper and lower houses of parliament. "The massive increase in the salaries and financial perks of the (National Assembly) speaker, deputy speaker, Senate chairperson and deputy chairperson falls under the category of financial obscenity," Asif said in a post on X. "Please keep the life of the common man in mind - our honour and dignity are all owed to him (the common man)," the minister who belongs to the ruling PML-N added. A report citing sources said Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gillani, who belongs to the PPP, presided over a meeting of the House Finance Committee a few months back to approve a phenomenal raise in his own salary as well as that of the deputy chairman, Sardar Syedaal Khan Nasar, who belong to the PML-N Similarly, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq of the PML-N chaired a meeting of the NA's House Finance Committee to "quietly" greenlight a raise in his own salary and that of the NA deputy speaker, a post held by PPP's Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah. After these approvals, the salary and allowances received by each of the parliamentary officials increased from a little more than Rs200,000 to around Rs2 million. This controversy whipped up a storm with the prime minister taking notice and ordering an inquiry. The National Assembly and Senate secretariat, however, later denied reports that the custodians of the upper and lower houses approved this increase on their own, claiming that only the PM and his cabinet have the authority to approve such raises and the government approved this raise. A gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on May 29 for the increase in salaries of the NA speaker and the deputy speaker and the Senate chairman and deputy chairman also came to the fore on Thursday. According to this notification, amendments had been made to the Salaries and Allowances Act of the Speaker and Senate Chairman, while discretionary allowances had also been increased by 50%. Interestingly, the government has also proposed an increase in salaries for members of parliament and the federal cabinet in the new budget. According to the budget documents, an allocation of Rs16.29 billion has been proposed for the National Assembly and Rs9.05 billion for the Senate. According to the details obtained by The Express Tribune, the Chief Justice of Pakistan's gross salary is Rs2,815,387 while the gross salary of each Supreme Court judge is Rs2,747,361. The chief justices of high courts receive a gross salary of Rs2,653,418 while the total salary of each of the high court judges is Rs2,606,000. The gross salary of a federal secretary is Rs818,000, while a chief secretary gets Rs1,401,000. The salary of an inspector general of police is Rs1,045,000 while each member of the National Assembly and Senate receives a gross salary of Rs705,000. In the proposed budget, Rs5.08 billion has been allocated for salaries and allowances of the MNAs — Rs2.58 billion specifically for salaries, Rs2.5 billion for travel expenses, Rs1.24 billion for the allowances of standing committee chairpersons, and Rs393.4 million for salaries and allowances of the NA speaker and deputy speaker.
Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
2nd phase of livestock card scheme: 300,000 animals to be distributed among farmers
LAHORE: Punjab Livestock & Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani announced on Thursday that the second phase of the livestock card scheme will continue for six months during which 300,000 animals will be distributed among livestock farmers. The number of animals allocated per farmer has been increased to 20. Applications for this phase were being received from May 15 to June 15. So far, more than 93,000 applications have been submitted, out of which 22,973 have been approved. Data of 21,840 approved applicants has been sent to the urban unit for physical verification which began on June 11. The minister pointed out that a large number of farmers did not submit their applications through the SMS 9211 system. He instructed the department to immediately send a message to these farmers informing them to apply through the 9211 Link app or by visiting the nearest animal hospital. He further mentioned that the urban unit will complete the physical verification process within one month, and the first loan installment for this phase will be released from July 15. All animals provided will also be tagged. Ashiq Kirmani was chairing an important meeting at the livestock department to review the recovery of livestock card loans, the second phase of asset distribution among rural women, the progress of ongoing departmental projects, new initiatives, and the budget proposals for the financial year 2025-26 under the chief minister's vision. Secretary Livestock Punjab Saqib Ali Ateel was also present at the meeting. The Minister noted that the livestock sector had shown growth during the financial year 2024–25 and appreciated the efforts of divisional directors, especially as the department did not receive any complaints during Eid-ul-Adha, which, he said, reflected their dedication. He directed the divisional directors to speed up the recovery of loans issued under the livestock card scheme and to assign more field officers for this purpose. He stated that farmers who repay their loans within the specified period, between May 15 and June 15, will automatically qualify for the next phase of the livestock card scheme. However, those who fail to repay the loan will not be eligible for any further schemes by the department. To ensure timely recovery, he approved the formation of a committee including deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, and officials from the revenue department of the concerned districts. The committee has been tasked with completing the loan recovery process by June 23. He informed the meeting that 5,500 animals were distributed to rural women in 12 districts of South Punjab under the first phase of the asset distribution scheme. In the second phase, another 5,500 animals will be distributed. Applications for this phase will be accepted from June 20 to July 20. He instructed that both the distribution of animals and the issuance of livestock cards by the bank should take place on the same day to ensure timely support for rural women. The minister was also briefed on the budget allocations for various projects included in the Annual Development Program 2025-26 which included Herd Transformation project to improve livestock production, an Internship Program for young professionals in the Livestock Department, and the establishment of a Foot and Mouth Disease-Free Zone with vaccination in Bahawalnagar district. Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani also announced the launch of the Punjab Livestock Connect (CONNECT) website, which contains data on slaughterhouses, meat exporters, fattening farmers, and livestock card beneficiaries across Punjab. Through this platform, livestock farmers can register complaints, get information about livestock loans and animal diseases, and receive updates on complaint resolutions. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
