ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Privatisation was informed on Wednesday that under the restructuring plan of USC, 1203 Utility Stores have been closed while 2237 employees have been laid off till date.

A senior official of the Utility Stores Corporation further informed the committee that only 1500 stores will now be functional and that too on commercial basis. The committee inquired that if Utility Stores Corporation is run now on commercial basis and earns profit then what is justification to give priority to it.

The USC official briefed the committee about subsidies provided to the USC, profit earned and tax paid.

The representative of ministry of privatisation replied that a presentation on it will be given to the committee in the next meeting, stating that it depends on policy decision by the government and profitable entities may also be privatised. The committee recommended that the decision of USC privatisation must be reviewed in the larger interest of the country and a........

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