As expected, prices of essential commodities soar ahead of holy month

Consumers complain traders have created artificial shortage

LAHORE: Market players have put big question mark on the governance system and price control mechanism by increasing prices of almost all items of daily use ahead of Ramazan.

A number of consumers in the Township Model Bazaar complained that traders and greengrocers had created artificial shortage to increase prices of most essential commodities.

Pointing towards fruit and vegetable kiosks, a visitor Adnan Manzoor said, “A couple of days ago melons were available at Rs30 to Rs40 a kilogramme in the city, but suddenly their price has been doubled and the fruit has already vanished.”



In an official price list the market committee had fixed melon’s price between Rs43 and Rs58 depending on the quality of the produce but vendors in the Township Model Bazaars were fleecing public by selling the item at Rs80 to Rs100 per kilogramme, he pointed out. “Does any price control system exist in the city? Vendors and shopkeepers are looting citizens in broad daylight and nobody is paying attention.”

Another citizen, Muhammad Anees, said prices of bananas, apples and other seasonal fruits had also been multiplied as the holy month is fast approaching. He added that most vendors in the Township Model Bazaars were selling substandard commodities at premium quality products’ price due to the negligence of the model bazaar administration, district and provincial governments.

A visitor, Naheed Bibi said shopkeepers have already increased prices of different varieties of dates ahead of Ramazan. She underscored that pre-Ramazan hike had become permanent agony because rulers have left citizens at the mercy of profiteers and hoarders.

Speaking to a select group of journalists a senior officer of the district administration, whose responsibility was to regulate prices in the district, accepted his inability to control prices.



The government had haphazardly implemented the new local government system in the province, he said, adding that after introduction of the new system several functions had not yet been defined. Though the district government was trying to regulate prices, it did not have enough price control magistrates. This function was primarily run by town and municipal officers who neither knew about price control laws nor had requisite training. Most price control functions, including raids and challans, were being conducted through clerks and drivers as most price control magistrates had additional responsibilities and it was not humanly possible for them to do office and field works simultaneously.

Lahore Deputy Commissioner Sumair Ahmad Syed said the district administration was continuously monitoring prices and penalising profiteers. The district administration, in collaboration with the local government public representative, would never allow profiteering during the holy month.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2017.