The federal government on Friday decided to shut down Utility Stores across the country, a move confirmed by the secretary of industries and production ministry during a Senate Standing Committee meeting.
The secretary informed the meeting that the government’s decision was part of a larger strategy to exit non-essential business operations. Efforts were being made to transfer affected employees to other institutions.
The announcement was delivered at a session of the Senate Standing Committee on Industry and Production, overseen by Senator Aoun Abbas. The secretary stressed the government’s goal to improve efficiency by phasing out activities considered non-essential.
The Utility Store management reported that they had been given a two-week notice by the federal government, even though the subsidy on store items has already expired. The management stated that more than 11,000 employees, including 6,000 permanent and others on contract and daily wages, were worried following the announcement of store closures.
In contrast, the standing committee closely examined the decision to shut down Utility Stores and requested more information on the statement from the industries secretary. Senator Aoun Abbas Bappi, who is the chairman of the committee, voiced worry about the government’s choice.
I was unaware of it. The decision is extremely sorrowful. He noted that the closure of the stores went unnoticed by everyone, and mentioned that the fate of the thousands of employees after the closure remained unknown to the government. “Where will the staff be relocated? Will individuals lose their jobs?
In addition to the closure of the Utility Store, the meeting included a presentation from the Engineering Development Board on the electric vehicle policy. The board stated that local car manufacturers did not reach their goals for exporting vehicles.
