Prices of essentials soar ahead of Ramazan
Citizens complained that the city government and district administration have lost control over commodity prices
citizens complained that the city government and district administration have lost control over commodity prices. PHOTO:EXPRESS
LAHORE:
Prices of many essential commodities have skyrocketed ahead of Ramazan in open market and Sunday bazaars, The Express Tribune learnt on Sunday.
A large number of citizens complained that the city government and district administration have lost control over commodity prices, profiteering and hoarding. A citizen, Sarfraz said Ramazan was supposed to be a holy month of blessings but the negligence of the state machinery and the traders’ greed for windfall profits have made the life of the masses difficult in this month. Ramazan has not yet begun and the prices of most of the seasonal fruits and vegetables have gone out of reach for common man.
On religious occasions and festivals around the world, governments take special measures to facilitate citizens by reducing prices of everyday use items. But in Pakistan the things are other way round. The government announced billions of rupees subsidy but the benefit could not be trickled down to the common man.
Food for thought: Shehbaz reviews arrangements for Ramazan bazaars
“A common citizen, who is getting minimum wage as set by the government, cannot even dare to think about buying fruits during Ramazan.
Prices of all seasonal fruits including melons, bananas, apples and peach have skyrocketed. You cannot find a good quality fruit below Rs200 a kilogramme in open market and Sunday bazaars,” he lamented.
Similar remarks were made by several other citizens. An elderly woman, Mrs Anees, underlined that the district administration would set up Ramazan bazaars everywhere in the city, but they could not provide relief to common man as prices have already gone up and there was no mechanism of assessing fair value of any commodity in the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2017.
Prices of many essential commodities have skyrocketed ahead of Ramazan in open market and Sunday bazaars, The Express Tribune learnt on Sunday.
A large number of citizens complained that the city government and district administration have lost control over commodity prices, profiteering and hoarding. A citizen, Sarfraz said Ramazan was supposed to be a holy month of blessings but the negligence of the state machinery and the traders’ greed for windfall profits have made the life of the masses difficult in this month. Ramazan has not yet begun and the prices of most of the seasonal fruits and vegetables have gone out of reach for common man.
On religious occasions and festivals around the world, governments take special measures to facilitate citizens by reducing prices of everyday use items. But in Pakistan the things are other way round. The government announced billions of rupees subsidy but the benefit could not be trickled down to the common man.
Food for thought: Shehbaz reviews arrangements for Ramazan bazaars
“A common citizen, who is getting minimum wage as set by the government, cannot even dare to think about buying fruits during Ramazan.
Prices of all seasonal fruits including melons, bananas, apples and peach have skyrocketed. You cannot find a good quality fruit below Rs200 a kilogramme in open market and Sunday bazaars,” he lamented.
Similar remarks were made by several other citizens. An elderly woman, Mrs Anees, underlined that the district administration would set up Ramazan bazaars everywhere in the city, but they could not provide relief to common man as prices have already gone up and there was no mechanism of assessing fair value of any commodity in the country.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 22nd, 2017.