KARACHI: Profiteering by vegetable, fruit sellers unabated
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, Oct 6: Like in the past, the first day of Ramazan witnessed profiteering by vegetable, fruit and milk sellers who continued to fleece people at their whim. A survey of different markets and vending spots of the city found a big disparity in the official and actual prices of these commodities.
Retailers continued to charge Rs15-16 per kg for no.1 quality potato and onion as against the official rate of Rs12 per kg. They were seen quoting Rs 24-28 per kg for no.1 quality of tomato as compared to Rs20 per kg. Similar, ginger was being charged at Rs100 as against the official rate of Rs78 per kg and garlic at Rs72 per kg against the control rate of Rs50 per kg.
Fruit vendors were found cheating buyers by selling low-grade fruits at a rate of those of higher grade. The price of high-quality banana had been fixed at Rs28 per dozen, but the vendors, apparently offering a discount of Rs3 per dozen, were selling the ‘B’ grade banana at Rs25 per dozen, though the latter quality should have been offered at Rs24 per dozen.
The official rate of apple golden was fixed at Rs39 per kg but the same was selling at Rs45-50 per kg whereas guava was available at Rs40 per kg as against the fixed price of Rs35 per kg.
In many markets of the city vegetable and fruit sellers had not displayed the official price list and the buyers had to pay higher prices.
A city government official said that a total of 32 persons had been charged with indulging in profiteering on the first day of the holy month and made to pay a collective amount of Rs25,100 as fine. Out of them, 22 were fruit vendors and four vegetable sellers. Some of the remaining were milk sellers.
The DDO New Karachi imposed fines amounting to Rs21,800 on eight offenders; DDO Lyari charged Rs2,350 fine from 19 offenders; TMO Lyari recovered Rs350 as fine from three offenders and TMO Orangi made two offenders to pay a fine of Rs600.
The action against just 32 of the hundreds of defiant retailers in the city shows that the price control campaign has not been launched with the required intensity, rather it appeared to be just a token launching keeping in view the market size of the mega city.
A city government official maintained that the officers assigned the task had some preoccupation with regard to the local body election.
SPECIAL OFFERS: Poultry dealers offered no special discounts to their consumers on the occasion of Ramazan. The broiler live bird is still selling at Rs70 per kg while chicken meat at Rs120 per kg.
In many Islamic countries, multinationals and local companies come out with tremendous discount offers valid for the whole of the fasting month. Those in other countries make similar offers on religious occasions like Christmas, Diwali, etc. However, neither local companies nor multinationals in Pakistan have offered any special discounts on their products. Rather, many of them have raised the prices to get maximum possible benefits from the shopping spree by faithful.
