Shoppers disappointed: Consumers baffled to find Utility Stores closed

Utility Stores Corporation says 25% outlets closed due to ‘annual audit’.

LAHORE: Many people who tried to shop for groceries on discount rates for Ramazan on Sunday were disappointed because a number of utility stores in the city were closed. The Utility Stores Corporation (USC) confirmed that 25 per cent of its stores were not operational on Sunday.

Reports of closure of utility stores across the city caused considerable concern among consumers on Sunday, a day ahead of Ramazan.

Consumers thronged the utility stores across the city to buy food and grocery items at discounted rates but found several utility stores closed. The staff displayed notices on the main gates, stating they were closed owing to the annual audit.

Utility stores were found closed in Shadman, Kasurpura, Ichhra, Gulshan-e-Ravi, Samanabad and several other areas across the city.

According to the notices displayed outside these stores, they were to remain closed for two days for the annual audit.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Shakeela Bibi, who had come to shop at a utility store, said she was surprised to find the store closed. “Is our government sleeping? How can they allow utility stores to remain closed only one day before Ramazan?” she asked.

The utility store located in the main Shadman market remained closed. Scores of people found standing outside the store chanted slogans against the government.

Protesters, including several women, criticised the government. “This is sheer mismanagement on the part of the government. We have not been able to buy essential items required for Ramazan,” they said.

The notice displayed outside the Shadman utility store read that “owing to June closing the store would not open for two days”. According to the notice, the store would open its doors to customers on July 1.

Muhammad Majid, one of the waiting customers outside the Shadman store, said it was shameful that the authorities were unable to ensure the provision of basic items right before Ramazan. “We have no other option. This is where we come before Ramazan to buy items at subsidised rates,” he said.

The manager of a utility store, requesting anonymity, told The Express Tribune that the stores had to be closed due to the annual audit, which was held at the end of June. He claimed that it was not possible to open the stores without the audit.

The USC authorities claimed that 75 per cent of the utility stores in the city were open despite the audit.

Talking to The Express Tribune, USC Lahore Zonal Manager Sagheer Ahmed said majority of the 138 utility stores in Lahore were open for consumers on Sunday. ‘The audit always takes place at the end of June. However, we tried to keep most of the sores open for our customers due to Ramazan,” he said.

Ahmed said discounted prices at utility stores were being offered since June 23 “to allow customers to benefit from the Ramazan package”. Last year, the subsidised prices were available only a few days before the start of Ramazan, Ahmed said.

The USC authorities said 44 out of the 58 utility stores located in the Lahore’s north were open on Sunday. Ahmed claimed all the utility stores would be functional and open for consumers today (Monday).

“We will continue the audit process during Sunday night as well to ensure that all stores are open on the first of Ramazan,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2014.