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Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) President Mian Zahid Hussain has called for a digital dashboard to track essential commodity stocks, market arrivals and demand, saying real-time data could help authorities curb hoarding, artificial shortages and food inflation.
Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) President Mian Zahid Hussain has called for the creation of a digital dashboard to monitor essential commodity stocks and market movements, arguing that real-time information could help authorities respond more effectively to artificial shortages, hoarding and profiteering.
According to Profit and Business Recorder, Hussain urged stronger coordination between federal and provincial governments to control food inflation through reliable digital data covering stocks, market arrivals, movement and demand for wheat, flour and other essential commodities. He said better information would allow policymakers to identify supply pressures earlier and take timely action.
Hussain also called for greater investment in commodity storage, cold-chain facilities for perishable goods, transportation and market systems. These measures, he said, could reduce food wastage and address inefficiencies across Pakistan’s supply chains.
The call comes as inflation continues to place pressure on households and businesses. Citing Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data for September 2026, Hussain noted that consumer inflation stood at 10.3% year-on-year, compared with 11.1% in August, while prices increased another 1.3% month-on-month.
According to the reports, electricity charges increased 32.46% year-on-year in September, while motor fuel rose 37.73%. Wheat prices increased 40.96% and wheat flour prices rose 31.71%. Wholesale Price Index inflation stood at 13.3%.
Hussain attributed part of the inflationary pressure to volatility in international petroleum prices amid the US-Iran war, while also highlighting losses at state-owned enterprises and electricity and gas utilities as domestic cost pressures.
He urged the government to accelerate energy-sector reforms and establish a predictable tariff framework, saying repeated electricity tariff increases and additional charges were creating uncertainty for businesses planning production, exports and investment.
“Decisions should be based on reliable digital data” on commodity stocks, market arrivals, movements and demand, Hussain said.
He also welcomed the prime minister’s petrol subsidy for low-income consumers while calling for additional measures to make essential goods more affordable.
Hussain said that after improvements in macroeconomic stability, government policy should increasingly focus on “micro-level stability” for households and businesses through fiscal discipline, energy reforms, stronger supply chains and lower business costs.
The proposed dashboard would therefore provide policymakers with a real-time view of commodity availability and market conditions, potentially improving coordination and enabling faster responses to supply disruptions and inflationary pressures.
