For consumers: Hoarding won’t be tolerated: minister

LAHORE: Food Minister Bilal Yasin said on Sunday the government had been active against hoarding and profiteering. He said the media should help keep an eye on those involved in hoarding. He was talking to reporters and consumers during his visit to different Sunday Bazaars. The minister said citizens should boycott items being sold at high rates. Yasin said it was the government’s responsibility to provide items of daily use to citizens at affordable rates. He said price control magistrates had been visiting Sunday Bazaars to check overcharging by shopkeepers. The minister said prices of several such items had been substantially reduced this year. He said the government was importing pulses to check an increase in their prices. He said fares of public and goods transport had reduced due to a decline in oil prices. This had also resulted in reduction of food items, he said. The minister said that last week 9,282 shopkeepers were fined and FIRs were registered against 618 for overcharging customers.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2014.