Government Shuts Down All Utility Stores Across the Country
The federal government has decided to close all Utility Stores nationwide, a decision confirmed by the Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production during a Senate Standing Committee meeting on Friday.
The Secretary explained that this move is part of a broader government strategy to exit non-essential business operations. Efforts are underway to reassign affected employees to other institutions. This announcement was made during a Senate Standing Committee on Industry and Production meeting, chaired by Senator Aoun Abbas. The Secretary highlighted that the goal is to streamline government operations by stepping away from activities considered non-essential.
Utility Store management reported that they have been given a two-week notice for the closure. The subsidy on items sold at these stores had already ended. This decision has raised concerns among more than 11,000 employees, including 6,000 permanent staff, with the remainder on contract or daily wages.
The Senate Standing Committee expressed serious concerns about the closure. Chairman Senator Aoun Abbas Bappi took a critical stance on the decision, stating, “I was not aware of it. It is a very sad decision. No one was informed about the closure of the stores.” He questioned the government’s plans for the employees affected by the closure, expressing uncertainty about their future employment prospects.
