KARACHI, Oct 5: Consumers had to pay more than double the actual prices of fruits on Wednesday just one day before Ramazan. Shopkeepers also took full advantage of the burgeoning demand of sugar by demanding Rs28-30 per kg for locally produced sugar as against the pre-Ramazan rate of Rs25-26 per kg.
Consumers are already paying extra money for buying other essential items, like pulses, rice, dates, vegetables, etc., before Ramazan.
Fruit vendors on Wednesday demanded Rs 35-40 for no.1 quality bananas as compared to Rs20-25 per dozen till a few days before Ramazan whereas the average quality was retailed at Rs20 as against the previous rate of Rs10-15 per dozen.
High quality apple was sold at Rs55-50 as against Rs40-45 per kg last week whereas the normal quality was selling at Rs35 as compared to Rs20-25 per kg a few days back.
A random market survey revealed that vendors were demanding Rs60 for grapes as against Rs40-50 per kg while guava prices had jumped to Rs35-40 from Rs10-15 per kg.
Pomegranate price surged to Rs65 from Rs50 per kg while melon rates shot up to Rs30 from Rs20 per kg.
Every year, the holy month witnesses a mushroom growth of fruit vendors scattered across the city. They would form a cartel and decide prices of their choice and would also uniformity in this regard. In most of the areas they organise their thellas (pushcarts) in cluster. Avoiding any competition among themselves, they would usually maintain the price on the higher side, thus leaving no chance for consumers to have cheaper merchandise from any place in the city.
Majority of the pushcart vendors usually comes from the interior of Sindh and other provinces to make timely windfall in the mega city on the eve of Ramazan. They disappear from the city markets soon after the holy month is over.
Although the city government always chalks out plans to check pre-Ramazan price-hike but it has so far failed to come out with a mechanism or strategy for protecting consumers’ interest.
Warnings of action like fine, arrest, etc., have not also worked to deter fruit sellers, who make hug profits and may lose a very little amount in penalty.
Skipping of sugar from the official price list by the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) appeared to be a big incentive to retailers who made huge profits through their pre-Ramazan sales.
In spite of the availability of huge stocks of local and imported sugar in markets, it sounds strange that why the commodity was not included in the list of control price.
Magisterial powers have been vested in officials of the city government for 90 days to ensure compliance of the official rates of various commodities.
According to EDO Enterprise and Investment Promotion (E&IP) Raeesuddin Paracha, as many as 70 officials have been delegated the powers.
He said that 54 complaint centres had been set up in 18 towns of the city besides control rooms in the offices of DCO, E&IP and TMOs. People would be able to lodge their complaint at these centres personally or by phone.
