Price magistrates fail to enforce official rates

An unprecedented spike in the prices of essential food items has been witnessed in the open market with price control magistrates finding themselves helpless to do anything about the situation.

Due to the prolonged non-issuance of letters of credit, a new crisis of shortage of banaspati ghee and cooking oil has hit the open market.

The public, taken aback by the hyperinflation has urged the government to arrest inflation while white-collar employees have demanded a reasonable hike in their salaries. In the open market, banaspati ghee is being sold at Rs530 per kg, cooking oil at Rs550 per littre, wheat flour at Rs170 per kg, and sugar at Rs110.

On the other hand, a kilogram of mutton is available at Rs1600, beef at Rs1000, live chicken at Rs360, chicken meat at Rs550 and eggs are being sold at Rs300 a dozen. Due to an increase in the price of cow and buffalo fodder, milk is sold at Rs190 per litre, and yogurt at Rs200 per kg.

The non-issuance of letters of credit has also created a shortage of imported food items including pulses as rice is available at Rs400 per kg, white gram at Rs350 per kg, and black gram at Rs300 per kg.

Likewise, potatoes are being sold at Rs25 to Rs40 per kg, onion at Rs200 to Rs250 per kg, garlic at Rs350 per kg, ginger at Rs400 per kg, lemons at Rs80 to Rs90 per kg, tomatoes at Rs70 to Rs80 per kg, green chilies at Rs60 to Rs70, capsicum at Rs90 to Rs100, brinjal at Rs70 to Rs80 and bitter gourd at Rs190 to 200 per kg.

Similarly, peas are being sold at Rs100 to Rs120 per kg, beans at Rs100 per kg, cucumber at Rs60 to Rs70 per kg, cabbage at Rs40 to Rs50 per kg, and pumpkin at Rs60 to Rs80 per kg.

Due to the increase in the value of the US dollar, the wholesale dealers have announced that they will set the new price of pulses, ghee, gram, rice and cooking oil on Monday (today).

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2023.