FG creates task force on increasing food prices

The Federal Government has set up a task force on food security. The objective is to look at the causes of increase in the prices of food items across the country and address them. The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents of the outcome of a meeting of the Federal Executive Council presided over by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. Mohammed was joined at the press conference by the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun; and the Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika. He said the government was concerned about rising costs of food items in the country. The minister said the decision to set up the task force was aimed at bringing down the prices of foodstuffs. Mohammed said the committee, which is inter-ministerial in nature, was expected to report back to the council next week.

The minister said, “The major highlight of the meeting is that the council resolved to set up a task force on food security. Government is quite concerned about the rising cost of food items and the fact that more often than not even when these products are available, when they reach the market, they are sold at very exorbitant prices. “So, the government has set up a task force on food security to ensure that an end is put to the wastages that occur and with tonnes and tonnes of produce sitting down in the farms going bad or in the markets getting rotten. “It is an inter-ministerial committee made up of the Ministers of Agriculture, Finance, Water Resources and Transportation. “The important thing is to look at what areas of intervention the government can make.

The intervention can be in the area of subsidy in transportation, that is being worked out but this goes to show that government is very much concerned about the rising cost of food prices and we are responding to it. “The committee hopefully is expected to report back to the council next week and concrete actions would be taken. Clearly government is concerned and is trying to do something to bring it down.” Sirika said the council also approved the procurement of coaches to improve upon the Kaduna-Abuja rail project. He said the approved coaches included two first-class coaches, two baggage coaches and six coaches for long distance economy class. 

(Punch)