Utility Stores Corporation

Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan (USC or USCP) is an organization that operates chain stores throughout Pakistan that provide basic commodities to general public at rates which are lower than the open market. Utility Stores Corporation is governed by a Board of Directors and headed by a Managing Director. The current Managing Director is Major General (Retd) Malik Muhammad Farooq HI (M).^[1] Major General Malik Muhammad Farooq (Retd) who took the charge of USC on 29 November 2011. Upon taking over the charge as MD, he lauded the endeavours of the current management and asked them to devise a better strategy to run the corporation in a broader sense and to provide people subsidized consumables in this era of price hike. He emphasized on the uninterrupted supply of consumables at every store of the corporation, so that people can be served in a better way, adding that all the efforts to be made to run the corporation on modern lines.^[2]

History

Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan was formed in 1971 by taking over 20 retail outlets from Staff Welfare Organization. It was created by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The organization have seen many ups and downs in its 40 years history. In 2001, the Corporation was nearly on the verge of collapse but due to vast expansion plan designed by its former Managing Director, a retired Brigadier from Pakistan Army, Hafeez Ahmed, the Corporation has inclined its operations, infrastructure, employment and vision.

Organization

Utility Stores Corporation is a semi-autonomous Corporation which is controlled by a Board of Directors consisting of eight Members. The Chairman of the Board of Directors is usually the Secretary of Ministry of Industries. There are three members selected from the Ministry of Industries & Production. The Managing Director of Utility Stores Corporation is also a member of the Board. One member is selected from a public sector organization and one from the private sector.

Management

The corporation's Head Office is situated in Islamabad. The Managing Director is the executive authority of the organization, and he is assisted by four senior general managers. There are also 11 general managers who assist the Managing Director in different departments. The main departments in Head Office are Merchandize & Buying (M&B), Procurement, Projects, HR&A, Finance, Franchise, Vigilance, Store Operation & Sales (SO&S), Insurance, MIS Departments.

Internal structure

Utility Stores Corporation operated nine zonal offices all over Pakistan. These nine zonal offices are further operating 61 regions under their jurisdiction:

• Abbottabad - Abbottabad, Muzaffarabad, Haripur, Mansehra, Swabi, Gilgit, and Skardu regions.
• Peshawar - Peshawar (North), Peshawar (South), Upper Dir, Mardan, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Chitral, Swat and Bannu regions.
• Gujrat - Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin, Jhelum, and Sialkot regions.
• Islamabad - Islamabad, Rawalpindi-I, Rawalpindi-II, Chakwal, Attock regions
• Lahore - Lahore (North), Lahore (South), Okara, Sahiwal, Gujranwala, Sheikhupura regions.
• Multan - Multan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Khanewal, Vehari regions
• Sargodha - Sargodha, Jhang, Faisalabad, Khushab, Mandi Bahauddin, Toba Tek Singh, Mianwali regions.
• Sukkur - Sukkur, Ghotki, Jacobabad, Larkana and Rahim Yar Khan regions.
• Karachi - Karachi (North), Karachi (South), Hyderabad, Mirpur Khas, Dadu, Nawabshah regions.
• Quetta - Qeutta, Chagai, Pishin, Loralai, Sibbi, Khuzdar, Killa Saifullah and Gawadar.

Major functions

• Provision of large varieties of goods to consumers at lower prices under one roof
• Bulk procurement at the time of harvesting, so as to pass rebate to the consumers
• Bulk breaking and packing of essential commodities in small packs at USC warehouses
• Large network of warehouses – 63 warehouses and 5,800 outlets throughout the country
• Penetration to rural areas through opening of outlets at Union Council level. More than 60% stores are in the rural areas
• Contribution to the National Exchequer through various types of taxes. USC is one of the largest Tax Payers in the country.
• Uniform prices throughout the country
• Support to the agro-based industrial sector
• Creation of direct and indirect employment and poverty reduction
• Provision of essential commodities to consumers at reduced prices at the time of shortage through subsidized operation

Special roles

• Food security during crisis. USC provided quick packages during natural calamities of October 2005, and during the floods.
• Intervention in market through sales of subsidized items
• Government relief packages, e.g. Ramzan package
• Market intelligence

Managing directors

References

External links

• Official Website of Utility Stores Corporation of Pakistan