ICCI expresses concern over price hike ahead of Ramazan

Urges govt to ensure smooth supply of essential commodities

ISLAMABAD: Prices of food items have increased manifold ahead of the holy month of Ramazan, which is a matter of great concern for the people and requires intervention by the government, said Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) President Ahmed Hassan Moughal.

He urged the government for taking urgent measures in order to save the common man from price surge during the month of Ramazan.

ICCI urged the government to take urgent remedial measures in order to save the common man from further hardships troubles.

Moughal said that the government had shown commitment to implement its writ for controlling prices, but the prices of essential food items have increased significantly across the country. He urged the government for taking all required measures to ensure sufficient supply of all food items in the market in order to curb the price hike. The ICCI president said that as per the survey of Sensitive Price Index (SPI), prices of 20 food items have increased due to which people were facing great difficulties.

He said prices of many food items including tomatoes, onion, potatoes, eggs, bananas, pulses, mutton, beef, sugar, rice have witnessed significant increase across the country due to which the common man was facing extreme problems in meeting day to day needs of life.

He said if the government did not take urgent remedial measures, the prices of food items would further go up in Ramazan bringing more miseries for people.

He urged the government for activating price committees and special price magistrates in markets to keep the food prices under control and announce for people a special Ramazan package in order to provide people with some relief.

ICCI Senior Vice President Rafat Farid and Vice President Iftikhar Anwar Sethi said that controlling unjustified hike in food prices was the basic responsibility of government and urged that government should play its due role in this regard. They also urged the government to take strong measures to control hoarding and all other causes of price hike in the country. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 28^th, 2019.