KARACHI:
Ever since the government has assumed power, it has reiterated its aim to control inflation and offer relief to the masses. In the budget for the fiscal year 2022-23, the government promised subsidies for the agriculture sector and monthly payments of Rs2,000 for low-income families as a form of relief. However, the constant fuel and energy price hikes run contrary to its claims because food prices have nearly doubled since the budget was announced. Consequently, staple food items have become out of reach forcing many to eat one meal a day.
Across the country, most cities are experiencing daily load-shedding of up to 8 to 10 hours, yet the utility service providers have continued to dispatch extortionate bills. If people fail to pay the bills on time, they will be deprived of whatever little amount of electricity they receive. Public transporters have also raised fares and are charging excessively for short distances during peak hours. Businesses and organisations are faced with higher costs because of which they have resorted to making employees redundant to cut expenses and improve profitability. Resultantly, unemployment is ever-increasing with employment opportunities becoming more and more scarce.
The main reason for our current crises is the flawed governance and the inability of our political leaders to accept responsibility for their poor decisions. Instead of shifting blame onto one another, had the previous governments taken the initiative to regulate practices of different sectors, we could have avoided many of the problems we are facing today. The government has failed to prevent cartels who are now influencing the prices of even basic commodities. The absence of law and order has allowed people at all levels to engage in corrupt practices such as retailers hoarding items and causing price fluctuations. It is high time that the government imposes taxes on the real-estate sector and begins taking tough decisions to help the economy recover.
Syeda Saiqa Hashmat
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 26th, 2022.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
