ISLAMABAD   -   Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain on Monday said that there are no plans under consideration to shut down the Utility Stores Corporation, as various options for the restructuring of the USC are being explored.

He was talking to a delegation of the Utility Stores Corporation, which called on him in Islamabad. Managing Director of Utility Stores Corporation and the Secretary of Industries and Production were also present in the meeting. Speaking on the occasion, Rana Tanveer Hussain said that various options for the restructuring of the Utility Stores Corporation are being explored. He said to enhance transparency; a new subsidy mechanism is being developed. Rana Tanveer Hussain emphasized that no unilateral action will be taken by the government to close down the Utility Stores Corporation. He said all decisions will be made with the consultation of employees and all stakeholders and the interests of all government employees will be protected.

Last week, Federal Industry and Production Secretary Saif Anjum disclosed in Senate Standing Committee on Industries and Production that the government is considering to shut down the Utility Stores across the country. However, the federal cabinet would take a final decision in this regard, he had said. He said that the government is considering a package for the USC employees and it might transfer the employees to the other departments. “The government wants to get out of non-essential businesses,” he said, adding that providing relief to Utility Stores eliminated the atmosphere for competition. The employees of Utility Stores Corporation (USC) had staged a sit-in against the government’s plans to close the organisation. Thousands of employees of the USC who earlier staged a sit-in outside USC headquarters moved to D-Chowk and started a protest sit-in to press the government to take back the proposed plan.