Food costs spiral beyond control in Rawalpindi
With food inflation remaining volatile and energy prices facing global and domestic uncertainties, economists warn that price stability in the coming months will depend on supply chain management, fiscal discipline and policy coordination. photo: file
A traders' representative has said that in the wake of the government's economic policies, a sharp increase in petroleum prices, rising transportation costs, and what he described as "devastating" hikes in electricity and gas tariffs, the prices of grocery items have begun to rise on a daily basis.
Salim Pervez Butt, President of the Rawalpindi Division of the Grocers' (Kiryana Merchants) Association, in a statement, warned that the cost of all essential commodities has spiralled beyond control, signalling the onset of economic distress.
He further revealed that wholesale dealers have now imposed an additional charge of Rs80 on the standard 50-kilogramme sacks used for commodities such as pulses, sugar, and ricean unprecedented development in the trade.
According to Butt, from Monday, April 6, consumers will face sharply elevated prices for all food items and essential goods.