Skyrocketing prices of essential items leave citizens high and dry
Had global commodity prices remained stable over the past few months, Pakistan would have easily achieved economic growth of over 5%. PHOTO: FILE
Prices of milk, ghee, flour, sugar, chilli, salt, pulses, rice and white gram have risen sharply in Sunday markets, Sahulat bazaars and open markets since the approval of the mini-budget.
Wholesale prices of pulses have gone up by Rs20 per kg. The price of flour has gone up by Rs 10 per kg and sugar by Rs10 per kg.
A five kg can of ghee has been increased to Rs2,250.
The Punjab Grocery Merchant Association has submitted a requisition to the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner to convene a meeting of the price control committee to fix the new official prices of pulses, sugar, flour, bread and rice. The association has announced that if an urgent meeting is not convened, grocery stores across Punjab will stop selling pulses, sugar, flour and ghee.
Shafiq Qureshi, president of Naanbai Association, said that the price of a bag of flour has gone up by Rs150 to Rs 300 per, therefore, the price of naan bread should be fixed at Rs20.
In the open market, milk is being sold at Rs130 per litre, yoghurt at Rs140, live chicken at Rs202 per kg, chicken meat at Rs305 per kg, eggs at Rs160 per dozen, ghee at Rs450 per kg, sugar at Rs110 per kg, flour at Rs75 per kg, mutton at Rs1300 per kg, beef Rs 700 per kg.
Similarly, white grams are being sold at Rs200, red beans at Rs200, potatoes at Rs25-45 per kg, onions at Rs 27-50, tomatoes at Rs 25-40, garlic at Rs 180-300 per kg, ginger at Rs 250-300 per kg, cucumber 50-60 per kg, cabbage at Rs30-40 per kg, green chillies at Rs100 per kg, capsicum at Rs130 per kg, lemons at Rs50-70 per kg, radishes at Rs20 per kg, the carrot at Rs 40-50 per kg, peas at Rs80-90 per kg.
Similarly, apples are being sold between Rs80 and Rs200 per kg, guavas between Rs50 and Rs100 per kg, pomegranates between Rs100 and Rs250 per kg, bananas between Rs40 and rs90 per dozen, fruiters between Rs80 and Rs100 per dozen, malta between Rs100 and Rs150 per dozen and kinnow between Rs 80 and Rs130 per dozen.
The price of all types of baby milk cartons has been increased up to Rs30 while all the companies have also increased the prices of their products including detergent powder, shampoo and soap by 20 to 60 per cent.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 17, 2022.