Peshawar, Sep 17 (IANS) Prices of edibles have skyrocketed in Pakistan during Ramadan and are expected to rise even further, “making life miserable for the poor”.
“Flour, vegetable, chicken and fruit rates are so high that poor people cannot even imagine eating,” Daily Times noted Monday.
“Profiteers have stocked commodities to maximise their profits. Flour, one of the most consumed items, has either disappeared or is available in very little quantity in markets and shops at very high rates,” it added.
Shopkeepers are selling a 20 kg bag of brown, or mixed, flour that actually weighs only 18 kg, for Rs.395 or more. Before the start of the holy month of Ramadan this was priced at Rs.295. The price of fine flour also varies from shop to shop and has increased from Rs.340 to Rs.400.
Wheat smuggling to Afghanistan is one of the main reasons for the shortage of flour as mills are not getting the required amount of wheat.
“However, another source said that it was a conspiracy hatched by flour mills who had stocked wheat and drastically reduced the supply to maximise their profits,” the newspaper said.
“The provincial government has completely failed to control the price hike and its anti-price hike campaign is limited to statements only. People have so far not seen a single incident in which a government team has arrested or punished a shopkeeper or a dealer for overcharging,” it noted.
The Peshawar district government formed an anti-price hike squad to ensure price control and empowered it to raid shops and check prices – to little avail.
A survey conducted by Daily Times revealed that vendors, mostly Afghans, had increased the price of tomatoes from Rs.20 to Rs.50 per kg, of onions from Rs.25 to Rs.35, of potatoes from Rs.15 to Rs.30, of green peas from Rs.50 to Rs.100, of cauliflower from Rs.22 to Rs.30 and of cucumber from Rs.20 to Rs.30.
Grapes are being sold at Rs.50 to Rs.80 per kg, apples at Rs.50 to Rs.80, guava at Rs.30 to Rs.40, bananas at Rs.30 to Rs.40 and dates at Rs.75 to Rs.100.
The price of chicken has increased from Rs.70 to over Rs.100 per kg and of rice from Rs.30 to Rs.60. Prices of other commodities like red beans, chickpeas, yoghurt and cream are also on the rise.
Though government-run utility stores have provided some relief to people, many buyers are complaining about the poor quality of edibles being sold at these stores.
“The Ramadan package offered by the utility stores looks reasonable, but I am not satisfied with the quality of some commodities,” homemaker Sarfraz Ahmed was quoted as saying.