The National Price Monitoring Committee (NPMC) has reported a two per cent decline in the inflation rate in the country.
A meeting of the committee, chaired by Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal, was informed that inflation stood at 9.2 per cent in July.
The briefing stated that the increase in natural gas prices was the main reason behind rising inflation. Prices of flour, fresh milk and petrol also contributed to the increase, while lower prices of sugar, potatoes and chicken helped reduce inflation.
Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern over the major difference between wholesale and retail prices in different cities. He directed officials to take measures to reduce the gap between wholesale and retail rates.
The federal minister also ordered a nationwide survey to examine the quality of open ghee, cooking oil and milk on scientific grounds. He further instructed strict monitoring of prices of essential commodities.
Ahsan Iqbal said providing essential items to consumers at reasonable prices remained a priority.
