Traders defy official price lists

Lower income groups in twin cities suffer during Ramazan

ISLAMABAD:

The prices of daily use items have sky rocketed as profiteers, racketeers and extortionists begin their annual looting of people by creating artificial price hike in local markets of the twin cities with the advent Ramazan.

Traders brazenly defy the official price list besides fleecing the people with both hands by openly flouting official rate lists issued daily by local administrations, citizens complained on Sunday.

The rising trend in prices of essential items have multiplied the miseries of fixed income people besides taking away several commodities off the Iftar menu as racketeers have made all sorts of arrangements to loot the already inflation-hit middle and lower middle class, residents lamented.

A survey of several markets, including Aabpara market, Jinnah Super Market, Sitara Market, Bhara Kahu, Public Works Department, Tench Bhatta, Saddar, Lalkurti, Commercial Market and several other markets of the twin cities reveals that bananas are being sold at Rs150 to Rs400 per dozen while per kilogramme (kg) rate of guava is over Rs200.

Similarly, the prices of water melon and other fruits are very high in the market. Likewise, the price of chicken meat has touched Rs480 per kg, which is an all-time high, while boneless chicken is being sold at Rs690 per kg and live at Rs280 per kg.

Umer, a clerk at a private firm, said the prices of fruits have recorded an alarming increase since the start of the holy month, forcing them to not buy fruit for Iftar. Usman, a security supervisor at a private Bank said, buying stuff for Iftar and Sehar is beyond his purchasing limit, which is why he breaks the hist fast with plain rice.

Another citizen, Farhan, criticised the local administration for their failure to check those traders who were defying the official rate list of daily use commodities.

Long queues are witnessed outside utility stores and Ramazan bazaars, waiting for subsidised flour and sugar, but only one kg is available per customer, he added.

Citizens demanded the district administration to tighten noose around the hoarders and profiteers through price magistrates and put them behind bars for overcharging poor consumers. "Merely imposing fines on traders does not serve the purpose", they stressed.

Upon being contacted, a senior officer of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration said several teams of ICT carried out over 1,051 inspections on Saturday to ensure price controls. A total of 23 shops were sealed, 17 traders were arrested besides registering three first information reports against the profiteers, they stated, adding that a total of Rs294,500 in fines were imposed on them.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2021.