Prices of fruit, vegetables skyrocket during Ramazan

Vendors unwilling to display price lists are continuing to overcharge at will.

ISLAMABAD: Despite claims by local administration to control prices food and non-food items during Ramazan, the fruit and vegetable vendors seem unwilling to display price lists and are continuing to overcharge at will.

Consumers in the capital city complained that the vendors are violating rate lists issued by the authorities and demanded that strict action be taken against them. They also said there is no check by authorities on the prices of vegetables and fruits in the open market.

“When I asked a vegetable vendor to show me the official price list of fruits and vegetables, he bluntly refused,” said Ahmed Hassan, a shopper at F-8.

The National Price Monitoring Committee recently reviewed the steps taken by the provincial governments and Islamabad administration to control the prices of food items and ensuring their smooth supply during Ramazan.

The committee noted that the food prices had shown an increase during July, before the start of Ramazan, which appeared to be seasonal.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 8^th, 2011.