KARACHI: Sindh government led by the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has failed to control rising inflation as the prices of essential commodities jumped across the province.
Despite the Karachi commissioner’s directives for effective enforcement of food prices fixed by the city administration and the government, fruits and vegetables are being sold at exorbitant rates.
All retailer and vendors are ordered to display the price list issued by the commissioner’s office at their respective shops and places, however, one can’t find the official price list at most of the city’s shops, while fruits are being sold at two to three times higher rates than their official prices.
Earlier, several milk, meat and vegetable shops that were found to be selling essential commodities at prices higher than the government’s prescribed rates warned and fined. However, the administration failed to check the prices.
The province saw a massive rise in prices of the commodities as cooking oil prices witnessed an increase of approximately 80 percent, meat 70 percent and eggs 90 percent.
Sources said the price of chicken meat in Karachi is fixed at Rs 214 per kg while in the city chicken meat is being sold at Rs 300 per kg. The official selling price of mutton is fixed at Rs. 740 per kg while it is being sold at Rs. 1200 per kg. Similarly, the price of beef is fixed at Rs. 300 per kg while beef is being sold at Rs. 500 to 550 in the markets.
Currently, per dozen eggs are being sold more than Rs 210 in different parts of the city. In this regard, the sources of the Poultry Association said that the reason for the increase in prices is not profit-making but an increase in demand oversupply.
On the other hand, Utility Stores Corporation has increased the price of different brands of cooking oil by Rs 19 to 27 per liter.
The public also expressed dissatisfaction and said that ministers and advisors travel in luxury cars by claiming good governance but poor people are being forced to commit suicides.
