Stringent action needed against hoarders

Over-priced commodities causing distress for masses during Ramazan.

KARACHI: Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Abdullah Zaki expressed deep concerns over the exorbitant hike in prices of household commodities and has urged the Sindh government and the Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) to take stringent action against profiteers and hoarders.

Zaki said in a statement on Thursday that prices of all household commodities, especially fruits and vegetables, have been fearlessly raised by shopkeepers due to the lack of an efficient price-control mechanism, further intensifying the hardships being faced by the poor masses.

“Global prices of various commodities are immediately reduced and special discounts are also offered to the public, but unfortunately in Pakistan, the profiteers immediately raise prices of kitchen products to get maximum profits and hoarders create artificial shortages of necessary commodities in order to benefit from the situation,” said the KCCI president.

He also mentioned that although the price lists are regularly issued by KMC, no shopkeeper bothers to adhere the prices quoted in to these lists and continues to overcharge the customers. To deal with this issue, he suggested that vigilance teams should be deployed at all markets of the city to effectively monitor prices and take action by imposing heavy fines or sending them to jail.

Zaki concluded by saying that all concerned departments of Sindh government and KMC should closely monitor prices of all commodities and other important kitchen items on a daily basis and no one should be allowed to exploit the public.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2014.

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