Grocers refuse to sell flour at official rates

Residents of the garrison city on Thursday were left searching for flour at official rates as grocers refused to sell the staple commodity at the government’s notified prices.

The main issue between the traders and administration was that flour ground from government-supplied wheat, which was cheaper and that from the open market, which was not being provided at the official rates. A representative body of grocers, Karyana Store Merchants Association, expressed serious concerns over the retail price fixed by the government and refused to sell the commodity at fixed rates of Rs43 per kg. Grocers in the garrison city started selling a 20kg flour bag for Rs1,350, or Rs65 per kg. A Rawalpindi-based grocer told The Express Tribune that consumers did not like the flour ground from wheat supplied by the government and they were purchasing the commodity from mills grinding wheat from the private sector, which costs Rs52.5 per kg.

Later, the Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anwarul Haq summoned a meeting with representatives of Karyana Merchants Association and flour mill owners. The DC was informed by grocers that they are unable to sell a 20kg flour sack for Rs860 when they were buying it for Rs865.

It was decided flour mills and bulk dealers will stop charging the Rs3 they take for the sack sod that grocers can sell the commodity at official rates.

Rawalpindi Karyana Merchant Association President Saleem Pervaiz confirmed that all matters have now been settled between the district administration and flour mill owners.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 10^th, 2020.