Sindh govt to begin crackdown against profiteers, hoarders

Chief Secretary Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput on Monday directed the divisional commissioners to take a stern action against profiteers and seal their business with heavy penalty for a long time. The Chief Secretary said this while presiding over an important meeting on prices control of essential commodities in the province.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Karachi Muhammad Iqbal Memon, Secretary Food Raja Khuram Shahzad, Secretary Agriculture Supply and Price Aijaz Ahmed Mahesar. The other officials including Commissioner Hyderabad, Commissioner Sukkur, Commissioner Shaheed Benazirabad and Commissioner Larkana attended the meeting through a video link.

In the meeting, the Divisional Commissioners while briefing about the action taken in the month of May 2022 regarding price control said that 10,371 shops were inspected in the month of May in the province and a penalty of Rs3.4 million was imposed on unsatisfactory 1,137 units.

In Karachi 672 profiteers were penalized with Rs2.9 million, in Hyderabad division 200 unsatisfactory units were penalized with Rs34,2500, in Larkana 62 shopkeepers were fined with Rs21,000, while in MirpurKhas 27 units were fined 15,000.

In the meeting, Chief Secretary Sindh said that if shopkeepers do not follow the rates finalised by the government, heavy fines should be imposed on profiteers and their business should be sealed for a long time. He directed the commissioners to monitor the action against the profiteers themselves. Instructing the Commissioner Karachi to meet the representatives of Flour Mill Association, he said that there was no shortage of wheat in the city, yet the price of flour in the city was higher than other cities.

"In any case the prices of flour, ghee and sugar in Karachi should be controlled," he said. The Chief Secretary said that he had received complaints of hoarding of flour and ghee in the city and the Commissioner Karachi himself should take action against hoarding of flour and ghee. "There should be no hoarders in any mill or super store," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2022.