Mills blamed for flour price hike

Price of a 20kg flour bag has been increased by as much as Rs120

RAWALPINDI: Ahead of the federal budget, the difficulties of the public have increased with a hike in flour prices in the city.

The price of a 20 kilogramme (kg) flour bag has been increased by as much as Rs120 after which it was available in the market at Rs820 while people in Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas were now purchasing it at Rs860.

The staple food item is selling for Rs43/kg which is likely to further increase the price of naand and roti. Earlier in Ramazan, the district administration had fixed the price of a 20kg flour bag at Rs740.

However, with Ramazan over, the annual exercise of price control has also ended. However, the flour prices instead of coming back to pre-Ramazan level have jumped further.

The Bakers Welfare Association President Sardar Siddiq told The Express Tribune that flour mills were supplying flour at inflated prices.

He said that flour mills were supplying an 80kg bag of fine white flour used in baking for Rs4,300 (53.75/kg) instead of earlier rate of Rs3,400 (42.5/kg) while whole wheat flour bag of the same weight was being supplied at Rs3,600 (45/kg) instead of earlier rate of Rs3,100 (38.75/kg).

He added that flour prices were likely to increase with expected new taxes in the federal budget.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 12^th, 2019.