KARACHI: Profiteers continue to defy control on prices
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Dec 11: The Bureau of Supply and Prices (BSP) claimed on Tuesday that the prices of essential items so far in Ramazan showed a downward trend or remained unchanged at the pre-Ramazan level. However, the situation on the ground tells a different story.
Consumers continued to lodge their protests against sellers/ shopkeepers for overcharging in Ramazan. The BSP has failed to control the runaway increase in prices as a very small number of retailers have been fined for overcharging and non-display of the official price list.
On an average 18-20 shopkeepers have been fined in the entire megacity every day as compared with 150-200 shopkeepers in pre-devolution period last year.
The BSP inspectors and judicial magistrates visited various markets on Tuesday but could only imposed a total of Rs6,100 fine on 10 shopkeepers only. So far, 451 shopkeepers have been prosecuted and an amount of Rs266,850 has been realized as fines from them.
A comparison of prices on first Ramazan with those on 25th Ramazan showed that there had been a price hike of Rs two a dozen in Mosami as its price went up to Rs22 a dozen from Rs 20 a dozen. However retailers are charging Rs25 a dozen.
As per the Bureau’s price list, the price of pomegranate quality No 1 rose to Rs44 a kg from Rs38 a kg and the prices of its No 2 quality remained unchanged at Rs24 a kg. Consumers are actually paying Rs50 a kg for the No 1 quality.
Guava (Malir) price increased to 18 a kg from Rs16 a kg, and Larkana variety was being retailed at Rs22 a kg from Rs18 a kg. But Malir and Larkana varieties are being sold at Rs20-22 a kg and Rs25 a kg, respectively.
Musk melon No 1 quality price rose to Rs14 a kg from Rs13 a kg and the price of its No 2 variety was tagged at Rs nine a kg from Rs seven a kg. Retailers are asking Rs 15-18 a kg and Rs 10-12 a kg for No 1 and No 2 varieties.
Retailers are asking Rs16-18 for No 1 quality of melon (stripes) but, according to the BSP, its prices had been increased to Rs15 kg from Rs14 a kg on the first Ramazan.
According to the BSP, only potato No 2 quality prices surged to Rs10 a kg from Rs nine a kg on the first of Ramazan.
Shopkeepers are still outrightly charging Rs one to two a kg more on vegetables such as tomato, onion, Shimla chillies, potato and green chillies whose demand is high. Prices of other vegetables, for which there is low demand, are either almost stagnant or fallen in Ramazan.
A price comparison, prepared by the BSP, on the current price situation showed that out of 48 essential items, the price of 30 remained constant whereas decrease had been registered in 13 items and prices of four items had increased. The BSP had provided only the percentage of downward trend in prices. The column of actual prevailing prices was, however, absent.
Market observers say this figure does not reflect success by the BSP as a very small number of shopkeepers have been prosecuted and the number would have been much higher since if there was thorough checking.
Sources in the market said the entire exercise of the city government and the BSP to control prices had failed this year due to implementation problems of decisions and confusion over power sharing.
The decision to wind up the BSP ahead of Ramazan and news of giving powers to the Town Nazims to impose fine on retailers created a lot of confusion in the market.
Judicial magistrate were included in the teams of the BSP’s inspectors to fine retailers, but their engagements in courts and lack of time, vehicles and staff hampered their efforts to visit markets frequently.
As per the government’s decision, the BSP will be abolished after Eid.
