Cabinet orders measures to prevent urea fertilizer price hike

The Federal Cabinet has directed the departments concerned to take all possible measures to prevent rise in the prices of urea fertilizer. The cabinet, which met in Islamabad today with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair, also instructed to ensure provision of uninterrupted gas supply to urea plants even after the next month instead of importing the fertilizer. The meeting remarked that agriculture is a backbone of the country and reduction in agricultural inputs should be ensured to bring down per acre cost of farmers. The cabinet also approved enhancing members of the Privatization Board from eight to eleven. It is pertinent to mention that on the direction of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, only women will be appointed on these three posts in light of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's direction to increase female representation in key boards of the country. On the occasion, the Prime Minister also sought a comprehensive privatization plan of State Owned Enterprises, whose denationalization has al ready been approved. The cabinet also approved regularization of teachers working on daily-wages in the Federal Directorate of Education, Islamabad. Besides, approval was granted to sign Memoranda of Understanding with Guatemala and Ecuador on political consultation. Source: Radio Pakistan.net