ICTA forms 14 teams to monitor sugar rates at shops

Officials of the district administration will survey the market to monitor the sugar prices and supply of edibles, a statement said on Thursday.

The Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) on Thursday constituted as many as 14 teams to ensure the sale of sugar at official rates to the consumers, besides ensuring uninterrupted supply of the edible in the capital markets.

The shopkeepers at different markets were provided sugar bags at Rs83 per kilogramme to sell to the buyer at Rs85 per kilogramme, ICTA Deputy Director Food Muhammad Afzal said.

There was a sufficient amount of sugar in the city and over 500 bags being provided at the shops on daily basis to meet the demands of locals, he maintained.

Around 59 fair-price shops including fruit and vegetable stalls were already functional in various areas of the capital city to provide edibles at government notified rates.

The teams headed by assistant commissioners and price magistrates were paying regular visits at the markets and stalls while violators were fined and booked at the spot, said Afzal. To a query, he said the administration was procuring sugar from Punjab government who imported through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) at controlled rates.

The owners of shops and stall holder were strictly asked to display official rate list of edible items on prominent places for convenience of the buyers, he added.

Meanwhile, the residents have complained about the non-display of price list at the markets that increased miseries of inflation-hit citizens.

They said people were already facing record price hike despite having limited financial resources. But the shopkeepers were adding fuel to fire by charging extra money especially on household products.

Rizwan Ahmed, a buyer at Sector G-9 Markaz market said shopkeepers were not displaying rate lists which was a sheer violation of trade licence by-laws.

"Consumers associations played vital role to control price hike across the world, but unfortunately in our country they are least bothered to address the issue," he Ahmed.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat said ICTA teams were making all out efforts to ensure the sale of edibles at official rates, but if any buyer found any retailer making extra money and not displaying rate list, he must lodge complaint with the DC office for timely action.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th, 2020.