K-P sets up price control mechanism for Ramazan

Online food price and control system set up for citizens to check daily prices of essential items

PESHAWAR: With Ramazan about to begin, provincial and district administration officials have been directed to ensure that a price control mechanism set up is implemented during the holy month. Further, all provincial MPs and ministers have been directed to regularly visit the markets to ensure that the prices of daily use commodities are in line with the government rates.

This was directed by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Sunday as he chaired a meeting regarding the Ramazan Package.

Mahmood said that relief for citizens during Ramazan should not be limited to announcements, as he went on to warn that stern measures should be taken against hoarders and black marketers to root out the culture of profiteering.

K-P Chief Secretary Saleem Khan, while briefing the meeting, stated that they have launched a crackdown against hoarders and black marketers in the province.

He added that in the past week, some 113 warehouses have been sealed while warnings have been issued to 26 dealers for hoarding. Moreover, fines worth Rs152,000 had also been imposed during this time. The chief minister was told that around 107 Sasta Bazaars (discounted markets) have been set up throughout the province where daily use commodities and edibles will be available to consumers at lower rates as compared to the market.



Furthermore, Saleem said that the district administration entered negotiations with the flour, ghee, sugar mills and poultry associations who have also agreed to lower the prices at source during the Ramazan so that market prices may fall accordingly.

Of the 107 markets set up, 15 are in Peshawar, 13 in Mardan, 27 in Malakand, 24 in Hazara, 11 in Kohat, nine in Bannu and eight in Dera Ismail Khan.

Mahmood was told that in Peshawar, the rate of dates will be Rs30-50 less than the market rate, ghee will be Rs20 cheaper, sugar Rs5 cheaper, apples Rs30, rice Rs10 and gram flour Rs20 in the Sasta Bazaars.

Moreover, the PMRU has developed an online food price and control system through which citizens check the daily prices of essential items and lodge complaints against overcharging vendors or hoarders.

Citizens will also be able to get proper response from the concerned government officials in a stipulated time.

Additionally, the PMRU will generate weekly reports regarding the set key performance indicators (KPIs) of price magistrates and have also been tasked with ensuring the real-time performance tracking of price magistrates through the “K-P Inspection Mobile App”.

Similarly, the District Price Control Committees have been notified which shall conduct price review meetings to notify fresh price lists for every district, including the newly merged areas.

The market committee will be responsible for monitoring the daily auction of fruits and vegetables markets along with providing price lists of the daily auction which will be updated through the “price module” mobile application.

The committee shall also ensure that price lists of perishable items notified in a timely manner on a daily basis.

Moreover, the price magistrates will inspect markets on a daily basis and will ensure that complaints lodged through the “mobile app” are immediately responded to.

The K-P chief secretary added that price monitoring mechanisms have been installed based on price control systems — where all districts will upload price lists on a daily basis, price fixation module — all price fixation officers to report geo-tagged price lists from fruit and vegetable markets, and lodging overpricing complaints through the K-P/Pakistan Citizen Portal.

The chief minister was satisfied with the voluntary reduction in rates by traders as he stressed that hygiene of food items should be maintained. In this regard, he disclosed that he will conduct unannounced visits to the divisional headquarters throughout Ramazan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2019.