Utility Stores Corporation

Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan
Company typeConsumer Goods
GenreCommercial
PredecessorStaff Welfare Organization Stores
Founded1971; 53 years ago (1971)
Headquarters
Islamabad
,
Pakistan
Number of locations
5,939 store outlets
Area served
  • 63 regions
  • 9 zones
Key people
Mr. Afzal Latif, Secretary for Industries & Production (Chairman, Board of Directors),
Products
, Spices, dates, Tea and Beverages
ServicesSupply the public consumer Items at lower prices than the open market
OwnerGovernment of Pakistan
Number of employees
14,500
ParentMinistry of Industries and Production
Websiteusc.org.pk

The Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USCP) (Urdu: یوٹیلیٹی اسٹورز کارپوریشن) is a Pakistani state-owned enterprise that operates chain stores throughout the country that provide basic commodities to the general public at prices which are lower than the open market because the government subsidizes them.[1] It is the largest chain-store entity in the country with 5,939 locations.

Utility Stores Corporation is governed by a board of directors and headed by a managing director.[2] Public business organizations or the public can ask the courts in Pakistan to hold hearings if they have concerns about the quality of items being sold at the stores.[3]

History

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Utility Stores Corporation was established in 1971 to provide price relief on food and beverages to the low-income segment of society.[4] It started with only 20 stores acquired from the Staff Welfare Organization.[4] Its purpose was to supply the public, particularly the poorer sections, with clean, graded, and hygienically suitable food and non-food items free from adulteration.[4] It also aimed to offer a setting where people could purchase items at prices lower than the general market.[4]

During Imran Khan's tenure, the Government of Pakistan completed the computerization of the utility stores across the country to improve their performance and efficiency.[5]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Utility stores further reduce prices of subsidized items Daily Times, Published 21 June 2016, Retrieved 8 December 2017
  2. ^ "Utility Stores Corporation, Pakistan". Archived from the original on 29 December 2011. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Chief Justice of Pakistan takes notice of sale of second rate cooking oil". Daily Times. 5 January 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d "کیا 53 سال پرانے یوٹیلیٹی سٹورز بوجھ بن گئے ہیں؟". Independent Urdu. 4 September 2024.
  5. ^ [AS Per record of USC] The Nation, Published 29 April 2019, Retrieved 8 December 2020
[edit]


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