Prices of essential items go up again
Tarin directed PBS to present a detailed variance analysis vis-a-vis weekly SPI highlighting food prices prevailing across mainstream cities and districts for real-time comparison. PHOTO: FILE
Prices of food items including pulses, sugar, ghee, flour and bread continue to rise sharply, with the continuous increase in the dollar rate and devaluation of the rupee being cited as the main reason for the hike in rates.
None of the government's efforts to control prices has proven successful, while district administrations and price magistrates have also failed to curb overcharging.
There seems to be no check and balance on the prices being set by dealers, with sugar now being sold for Rs8,900 per bag on wholesale and for Rs110 per kg in retail. In the market, ghee is being sold for Rs410 per kilograms (kg), mutton Rs1,300 per kg, beef Rs700 per kg, milk Rs130 per litre, yoghurt Rs140 per kg, flour Rs75 per kg, live chicken Rs190 per kg, chicken meat Rs285 per kg, eggs Rs200 per dozen.
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Similarly, potatoes are being sold up to Rs45 per kg, onion Rs35 per kg, tomatoes Rs60 to Rs80 per kg, garlic Rs190 per kg, ginger Rs350 per kg, peas Rs95 per kg, lemons Rs60-70 per kg, green chillies Rs80 per kg, capsicum Rs90 per kg, bitter gourd Rs110 per kg, cabbage Rs40 per kg, eggplant Rs40 per kg.
Similarly, french beans are being sold at Rs70 per kg, turnips Rs35 per kg, radish Rs20 per kg, carrots Rs35 per kg, taro root Rs60 per kg, apples Rs90-200 per kg, pomegranate Rs100-209 per kg, guava Rs70-100 per kg, bananas Rs60-100 per dozen, fruiter Rs80-100 per dozen, orange (malta) Rs100 per dozen, white gram Rs209 per kg, red bean Rs190 per kg and tea is being sold for Rs270 per 250gm.
Multinational companies have also increased the prices of products like diapers, infant formula and detergent powder by up to 30 per cent.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 20th, 2021.