KARACHI, Oct 24: The city government has fixed fresh milk price at Rs22 per litre for Ramazan as compared to the prevailing price of Rs23.
The controller general of prices has also fixed the rates of beef quality No.1 at Rs70 per kg, quality No. 2 at Rs60 per kg and boneless beef at Rs90 per kg.
The price of beef (bachiya) quality No.1 has been fixed at Rs80 per kg and quality No.2 at Rs75 per kg.
The price of mutton special quality is fixed at Rs150, mutton quality No.1 at Rs140 and No.2 quality at Rs120 per kg.
The government has made a reduction of Rs10-20 in beef and mutton categories.
In other items, only one ghee-maker, Tullo, has offered a price cut of Rs5 per kg on its various brands, while other packers have been asked by the city government to follow suit. Ghee makers will apprise the government on Saturday whether they are ready for price cut or not.
The loose ghee will be sold at the last year’s rate of Rs55 per kg.
The maker of Naurus syrup has agreed to lower the price by Rs5 per bottle, which is currently being sold at Rs75. The city government has asked other syrup and squash makers to come out with a relief package as they had reduced the rate by Rs10 per bottle last Ramazan.
The government has also asked spices-makers for a straight away cut in the prices instead of offering various gift schemes.
“We have asked spices-makers (companies) to cut the prices of basic spices available in powder forms like red chilly, coriander and turmeric which are being sold in open markets at 200-300 per cent higher prices as compared to spices selling in loose forms,” EDO Enterprise and Investment Promotion Group of Offices, M Raeesuddin Paracha, told Dawn on Friday.
The red chilly powder (loose) in open market sells at Rs 65-70 per kg as compared to the price being charged by the packers at Rs135 per kg.
He said the government had turned down the demand of confectionery and bakery items makers for fixing the higher price by Rs12-25 per kg/dozen on sweats, samosa, khajla. However, the price of these items would not be decreased this time as all items will be sold at the last year’s rate.
He said that the price fixation of almost every item had been done and if some companies, who were asked for price cuts, did not turn up on Saturday, the government would arbitrarily fix the prices on lower side or maintain the rates as prevailing in the last Ramazan.
To a query about the actual date of releazing the price list, he said that the dilly-dallying by ghee-makers in cutting the rates was causing delay in completing the price list. Otherwise, the price list was almost ready to go for printing.
He said that the price list was expected to be ready by one day ahead of Ramazan or on the first day of the holy month.
Paracha said the government had faced a stiff opposition from meat merchants and milk sellers on price fixation as both were not in favour of price reduction.
Meanwhile, general secretary of the Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA), Iqbal Qureishi, said he was not satisfied with the arbitrary price fixation by the government.
“We are holding meetings daily to chalk out the future strategy as it is not feasible to sell the meat at reduced rates when wholesale prices have skyrocketed due to exports, smuggling and shortage of animals,” he said.
