In need of regulation: Prices soar ahead of Ramazan

Prices of gram flour, sugar, black gram increased

ISLAMABAD: With Ramazan around the corner, profit-makers have started to hike prices of some commodities putting consumers in a tight spot. 

“Though the consumption of some food grains and its byproducts witnesses substantial increase during Ramazan, including gram flour (Basen) and sugar, black gram and Kabuli Channa, fruits, dates, chicken, mutton and beef, the supply and availability of all these commodities has been sufficient in the local as well as international market,” a grain dealer in the local commodity market Chaudhry Aslam told The Express Tribune on Sunday.

He revealed that prices of some pulses and their derivatives have been inching up since the past month and a half without any substantial reason, adding that the budgetary concessions and taxations measures do not coincide with the hike in prices in the undocumented and unregulated commodity trade across the country.

Aslam said a number of national and foreign brands did not pass on the relief of a record decrease in prices of oil and other food grain commodity prices in international market.

Two weeks ahead of Ramazan, the price of gram flour has jumped up to Rs100-Rs110 per kg which was available at Rs70 to Rs75 per kg a month back.

At the wholesale level, a 37kg bag of gram flour has escalated to Rs3,500 which was traded at Rs2,400 to Rs2,500 earlier.

Similarly, rates of black gram (wholesale) have soared up to Rs90 per kg which was changing hands at Rs65 to 70 per kg in the local grain market.

The prices of channa (pulse) has increased to Rs95 per kg from Rs75 per kg.

Moreover, prices of sugar have escalated by Rs2 per kg which is largely exchanging hands at Rs62 to Rs65 per kg.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2015.