Strike over taxes exacerbates flour crisis in twin cities

Flour mills cease operations; bread-makers no longer selling bread

RAWALPINDI:

Workers in the supply and sale sectors of the flour industry going on a strike against increased taxes spells disaster for the already deepening flour crisis.

Flour mills in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad have also announced to stop processing wheat and all bread-makers (tandoors) have decided to stop selling bread from Friday onwards.

Due to the strike and supply stoppage, the remaining stock of flour in small and large grocery stores of all the six districts of Rawalpindi Division, including Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal, Murree, Talagang and Islamabad, will only last for three more days. If this issue is not resolved by Friday (tomorrow), come Saturday, the supply of flour will be completely exhausted and the crisis will intensify.

At present, the flour crisis has driven the price of flour to Rs170 per kg in the open market. The situation has been profitable for flour millers as they have started selling flour in the black market at their prices. Flour dealers, flour mills, grocery shops and bread-makers have allied against the taxes set by the federal government and the low prices fixed by the Punjab government.

The leaders of the four flour industry parties have announced that they will take a joint decision to continue the strike and carry out negotiations with the government.

The President of the Grocery Merchant Association, Saleem Parvez Butt, said that 35,000 flour bags are supplied to Rawalpindi daily. “However, not a single bag has been supplied today or yesterday, at this rate, we will run out of flour stock by Friday.”

Grocery shops across the division have started selling two to three kilograms of flour instead of selling whole bags of flour due to a shortage of stock.