New price regulation authority to replace magistrate system

The newly formed Punjab Enforcement and Regulatory Authority (PERA) is set to become operational next week.

Once PERA is activated, the existing system of price control magistrates will be completely phased out.

Instructions have been issued to finalise preparations within the current week. Under PERA, a dedicated price control police station will be established in each district.

Recruitment for the enforcement force has been completed, and training is already underway.

Each of these specialised stations will consist of four rooms. One room will be allocated for the Station House Officer (SHO), one as a temporary lock-up, one for staff, and one for an armoury.

Assistant commissioners will directly oversee the operations of these stations.

The lock-ups will operate independently, and magistrates assigned to these stations will also be separate from the existing system.

Importantly, traders and shopkeepers arrested under this system will be required to bear the cost of their meals and any other expenses incurred during detention, including transportation costs for the enforcement team that arrests them.

A detailed discussion on the implementation strategy was held between the Kiryana Merchants Association and Salma Butt, Adviser to the Chief Minister on Price Control and Commodities.

The delegation of traders, led by the Association's General Secretary Sheikh Rizwan Shaukat, raised concerns over the current system, particularly the conduct of price control magistrates, issues with rate lists, special branch reports, sugar pricing and supply mechanisms, and the treatment of shopkeepers accused of hoarding.

Salma Butt assured the delegation that PERA will soon be granted authority over price control, encroachments, and other related matters, effectively ending the previous magistrate-driven approach. She emphasised that the new system aims to resolve long-standing issues faced by the business community.

Traders urged the government to clearly differentiate between hoarding and properly documented stock, and to prevent the harassment of shopkeepers who have declared their inventory through proper documentation.