KARACHI: Delay in price list comes as a boon to profiteers
By Amir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Nov 16: Retailers will virtually enjoy a free hand to fleece consumers on the first day of Ramazan due to the absence of any authorized price list.
“The new price list is in the process of printing,” the general secretary of the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG), Farid Qureishi, told Dawn on Friday, attributing the delay in issuance of the list to changes in rates of lentils on Thursday.
“I will get the new list by Saturday, and then it will be distributed to the retailers. By Sunday shopkeepers will be able to display it,” he added.
Retailers of various areas said they had not received any price list on Friday, adding that it was being printed. They would get it by Sunday.
Retailers will charge the prices of essential items on their own till they get the new price list. Town and union council Nazims have been authorized to check prices, but they will be hamstrung in this because of the absence of any authorized price list. So profiteers will reap a good harvest at least on the first day of Ramazan.
A copy of the new price list, available to Dawn, carries November 17 as the date of issue, but it has been delayed for a day due to changes in the prices of lentils on the already approved list.
Ghee and cooking oil manufacturers have cut prices by Rs5 to Rs25 a tin as a special Ramazan package, but this benefit will be brought to a nought as consumers will have to pay higher prices this Ramazan as compared with in the previous Ramazan.
Consumers will pay Rs25 more to buy Tullo five-kg ghee tin at Rs330 as compared with Rs305 last year, and its 2.5kg tin is priced at Rs172 as against Rs158. Five and 2.5 litres cooking oil tins carry the price tags of Rs310 and Rs172 as compared with Rs305 and Rs160.
Habib cooking oil’s 5 and 2.5 litre tins will cost Rs318 and Rs166 as against Rs303 and Rs158. The price of Dalda five and 2.5 litre cooking oil tins are priced at Rs325 and Rs170 as compared with Rs305 and Rs160. Loose ghee will be sold higher by Rs two a kg.
According to the new price list, milk powder prices are higher as compared with in the previous Ramazan. For instance, Nido 1,000 gram pack will cost Rs195 as compared with Rs183. Retailers will charge Rs190 for Everyday 1,000 gram pack as compared with Rs178. Millac 1,000 gram pack is priced at Rs244 as compared with Rs234.
Dates will cost higher. According to the new price list, the Zahidi Irani variety is available at Rs36 a kg as compared with Rs34 a kg last year, and Zahidi Basra price has been fixed at Rs30 a kg as against Rs28 a kg. Begum Jangi Makran (soft) variety carries a price tag of Rs24 a kg from Rs18 a kg last year. Dates’ mix price has been fixed at Rs20 a kg from Rs11 a kg.
The prices of Ovaltine big and medium pack have been fixed at Rs165 and Rs105 as compared with Rs160 and Rs90 last year. There is no change in the price of Rooh Afza which is Rs75, and Naurus and Jam-i-Shireen will cost Rs75 each as compared with Rs68 and Rs72, respectively, last year.
Prices of tea, produced by leading tea packers, are unchanged as compared with last year. The general secretary of the KRGG said these packers would soon announce new reduced prices. Branded tea producers have adopted a lukewarm attitude to cutting prices despite a price fall of 25 per cent in the world markets mainly because of the rupee’s appreciation against the US dollar, making imports cheaper.
Prices of various varieties of flour (atta) have been pegged to the level in the previous Ramazan.
Consumers will pay higher retail prices for besun No 1 and No 2 quality at Rs35 and Rs28 a kg as compared with Rs29 and Rs26 a kg last year. Black gram (kala chana) No 1 and No 2 quality prices have been fixed at Rs35 and Rs33 a kg, up by Rs7 and Rs5 a kg. Kabuli chana No 1 quality is available at Rs40 a kg as compared with Rs48 a kg last year. An increase of Rs5 and Rs4 a kg has been seen in the price of gram lentil (dal channa) No 1 and No 2 quality at Rs35 and Rs33 a kg as compared with in the previous Ramazan.
Prices of almost all rice varieties remain changed. The list does not mention sugar as its rates will be determined on daily basis keeping in view the demand and supply situation.
