Mounting concerns: Rising prices of essentials add to citizens’ worries
Survey shows vendors, market committee officials have raised prices of almost all seasonal vegetables
A shopping cart is pushed down the aisle in this REUTERS photo illustration.
LAHORE:
The prices of most essential commodities, especially seasonal vegetables, continue to rise unabated in the provincial capital due to the absence of an efficient and effective price control mechanism.
A survey of markets and model bazaars shows that vendors, in collusion with market committee officials, have raised the prices of almost all seasonal vegetables.
Tomatoes, an essential ingredient of almost all Pakistani dishes, are being sold for between Rs300 and Rs350 per kilogrammes in different areas of Lahore; the government has fixed the prices of tomatoes between Rs200 and Rs210/kg at markets and between Rs190 and Rs200/kg at Sunday bazaars.
Similarly, onions, another commonly used ingredient, are being sold for up to Rs130/kg in retail markets while the price of the vegetable has been fixed between Rs64 and Rs76/kg. In addition, several citizens have complained that vendors are selling a mixed variety of onions at Sunday bazaars and charging locals the price for the sorted variety.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Nasreen Rashid, a housewife, explained that because of the country’s deteriorating economic situation, citizens are losing their jobs.
“Instead of controlling inflation and an artificial hike in the prices, the government has given traders and greengrocers a free hand to fleece citizens,” she maintained. “The prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing but no government action is being taken to deal with the situation,” she said.
Another citizen, Muhammad Usman, highlighted that the prices of seasonal vegetables have become so high that people have to think twice about buying them.
“The district government’s price control system has proven to be worthless. The officials of price control committees are checking the prices of commodities to merely demonstrate that they are performing their duties,” he said. He added that the officials have no control over the traders and shopkeepers who have jacked up prices.
Meanwhile, an official from the Punjab agricultural department highlighted that the new tomato crop from Sindh is due to arrive next month, which will help in bringing down the prices of tomatoes. He maintained that the supply of tomatoes is limited which is why the prices are witnessing an upward trend.
In order to control the prices of seasonal fruits and vegetables, the Lahore deputy commissioner directed all major departmental stores to enforce the prices notified by the government for fruits and vegetables.
Last week after a public outcry over an exorbitant increase in seasonal fruits and vegetables, the district administration decided to abolish the deputy commissioner’s counter in major departmental stores and decided to enforce the notified rates across the board.
The deputy commissioner’s office also issued a warning to the management of departmental stores regarding displaying poor quality fruit and vegetables and going against the notified rates.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also expressed concern over the artificial price hike in cities across the province. He directed the Price Control Task Force to take effective measures to stabilise the rates of food items, especially seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The chief minister had also announced the establishment of a provincial price control authority which will function along the patterns of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA). Buzdar directed the authorities concerned to constitute a comprehensive mechanism for controlling inflation, adding that the district administration should strictly monitor the rates of items.
Price control magistrates should perform their duties proactively and the rate lists should be displayed at all shops where they can be seen easily, he said.
In order to curb profiteering, the government has decided to eliminate the role of the middle man from agricultural markets. The government has already announced the establishment of farmers markets at a tehsil level, as well as setting up a fruit and vegetable home delivery system in five major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan, to ensure the availability of essential at fixed rates, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2019.
The prices of most essential commodities, especially seasonal vegetables, continue to rise unabated in the provincial capital due to the absence of an efficient and effective price control mechanism.
A survey of markets and model bazaars shows that vendors, in collusion with market committee officials, have raised the prices of almost all seasonal vegetables.
Tomatoes, an essential ingredient of almost all Pakistani dishes, are being sold for between Rs300 and Rs350 per kilogrammes in different areas of Lahore; the government has fixed the prices of tomatoes between Rs200 and Rs210/kg at markets and between Rs190 and Rs200/kg at Sunday bazaars.
Similarly, onions, another commonly used ingredient, are being sold for up to Rs130/kg in retail markets while the price of the vegetable has been fixed between Rs64 and Rs76/kg. In addition, several citizens have complained that vendors are selling a mixed variety of onions at Sunday bazaars and charging locals the price for the sorted variety.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Nasreen Rashid, a housewife, explained that because of the country’s deteriorating economic situation, citizens are losing their jobs.
“Instead of controlling inflation and an artificial hike in the prices, the government has given traders and greengrocers a free hand to fleece citizens,” she maintained. “The prices of essential commodities are skyrocketing but no government action is being taken to deal with the situation,” she said.
Another citizen, Muhammad Usman, highlighted that the prices of seasonal vegetables have become so high that people have to think twice about buying them.
“The district government’s price control system has proven to be worthless. The officials of price control committees are checking the prices of commodities to merely demonstrate that they are performing their duties,” he said. He added that the officials have no control over the traders and shopkeepers who have jacked up prices.
Meanwhile, an official from the Punjab agricultural department highlighted that the new tomato crop from Sindh is due to arrive next month, which will help in bringing down the prices of tomatoes. He maintained that the supply of tomatoes is limited which is why the prices are witnessing an upward trend.
In order to control the prices of seasonal fruits and vegetables, the Lahore deputy commissioner directed all major departmental stores to enforce the prices notified by the government for fruits and vegetables.
Last week after a public outcry over an exorbitant increase in seasonal fruits and vegetables, the district administration decided to abolish the deputy commissioner’s counter in major departmental stores and decided to enforce the notified rates across the board.
The deputy commissioner’s office also issued a warning to the management of departmental stores regarding displaying poor quality fruit and vegetables and going against the notified rates.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar also expressed concern over the artificial price hike in cities across the province. He directed the Price Control Task Force to take effective measures to stabilise the rates of food items, especially seasonal fruits and vegetables.
The chief minister had also announced the establishment of a provincial price control authority which will function along the patterns of the Punjab Food Authority (PFA). Buzdar directed the authorities concerned to constitute a comprehensive mechanism for controlling inflation, adding that the district administration should strictly monitor the rates of items.
Price control magistrates should perform their duties proactively and the rate lists should be displayed at all shops where they can be seen easily, he said.
In order to curb profiteering, the government has decided to eliminate the role of the middle man from agricultural markets. The government has already announced the establishment of farmers markets at a tehsil level, as well as setting up a fruit and vegetable home delivery system in five major cities, including Lahore, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Faisalabad and Multan, to ensure the availability of essential at fixed rates, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2019.