Subsidies on key USC items withdrawn ECC decision to impact prices of flour, sugar and cooking oil ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to increase prices of wheat flour, sugar and cooking oil in the range of 19% to 53% at the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) by reducing subsidies for the poor, taking a second major administrative decision in as many days that will further fuel inflation. The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Friday increased the sugar prices to an amount even more than what the Ministry of Industry had recommended in its summary. Despite the claimed sugarcane bumper crop, the ECC meeting – chaired by Minister for Finance Shaukat Tarin – also approved to import 200,000 metric tons more sugar, taking the total quantity to 300,000 metric tons within three weeks.