Despite the Karachi commissioner setting the wholesale price of sugar at Rs170 per kilogramme and the retail price at Rs173, there has been no implementation of these official rates across the city. In wholesale markets, sugar is being sold at Rs175/kg, while at the retail level it is priced around Rs190/kg. In smaller neighborhood shops, the price has surged to as high as Rs200/kg, leaving consumers with no option but to purchase sugar at inflated rates.
Although wholesale prices have recently dropped by Rs8/kg to Rs175, this reduction has not been passed on to end consumers.
In most city markets, sugar is being sold for between Rs185 and Rs190/kg, with retailers refusing to lower their prices. Under an agreement between the federal government and the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association, the ex-mill price of sugar was fixed at Rs165/kg effective from July 15. Following that, the Karachi commissioner issued official wholesale and retail prices. However, enforcement on the ground remains virtually non-existent.
Consumers complain that price control committees have become ineffective, and government measures exist only on paper.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ