KARACHI, March 12: The price list of 51 essential items issued by the city government is not acceptable to retailers and shopkeepers as it said to quote rates that are higher than those prevailing in the market.

The city government issued a price list of 51 essential items on Monday, but some shopkeepers and wholesalers said the list carried higher wholesale rates of various items. The list is meant to fix prices on fortnightly or monthly basis

The government issued the price list with the help of the Water Pump Market Welfare Association. According to the list, the consumers will pay more as the rates of 17 items including pulses have been fixed on the higher side from prevailing wholesale market rates while the prices of nine items including rice has been fixed on the lower side.

For example, the wholesale price of Quality No.1 and No.2 gram pulse (dal channa) has been fixed at Rs33 and Rs31 per kg while it is wholesale price is Rs30 and Rs28 per kg. Similarly, Dal mash No.1 and No.2 prices have been fixed at Rs49.50 and Rs48 per kg while it is available at Rs47 and Rs45 per kg at wholesale.

Dal mash chilka and mash sabut are selling at Rs45 but the government has fixed their rates at Rs47 and Rs46 per kg respectively. Dal moong washed no.1 and no.2 qualities are available at Rs46 and Rs42 per kg while the government’s price is Rs 50 and Rs 49 per kg respectively.

The wholesale and retail rate of ghee has been fixed at Rs64 and Rs70 per kg. Cooking oil rates (no.1 and no.2 qualities) have been fixed at Rs70 and Rs63 at wholesale and Rs74 and Rs66 per litre at retail. Surprisingly, the government has not indicated the brand name, thus putting the consumers in quandary.

In rice, the government has fixed wholesale rate of Rs51 per kg for kernel basmati special but its actual rate is Rs60 per kg in wholesale. Kernal super basmati is being sold at Rs52 per kg in wholesale but the price list rate is Rs48 per kg. Basmati special rate has been fixed at Rs44 per kg in wholesale while the price in the market is Rs50. Black pepper (sabut) rate has been fixed at Rs195 per kg in wholesale. The actual price is Rs120 per kg.

Executive District Officer (EDO) Enterprise and Investment Promotion, Syed Hassan Naqvi told Dawn that all stakeholders were taken into confidence while fixing prices and if anyone had reservations, they could appeal to the government. He said wholesalers and retailers will face legal action in case they were found over charging against the official list. “We are not sure whether the list will be effective for 15 days or a month. The government will see the market response. Besides, wholesale rates have been falling,” he added. The objective is to regulate prices which would help the government in fixing the rates for Ramazan, Naqvi said.

Meanwhile, the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) and Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) have rejected the city government price list. Secretary General KRGG Farid Qureishi said that the group represents over 20,000 retailers of the city and has been assisting the city government for decades in preparing and issuing price lists.

He said the city government had sidelined the KRGG and issued the list without taking them into confidence. He said this list has been issued with the help of retailers located at Water Pump, F.B. Area, carries big disparity in prices prevailing in wholesale markets compared to fixed rates. He said the wholesalers’ body has not approved the rates issued by the government.

Mr Qureshi urged the City Nazim Mustafa Kamal to take notice of the one-sided attitude of the department of Enterprise and Investment Promotion (E&IP) in issuing the list. He said retailers now feel harassed over the fines and imprisonment over the possible action the government may take against wholesalers and retailers for not complying with the official price list.

Chairman KWGA Anees Majeed said that the city government had asked the KWGA to verify the price list but the association had rejected it because of persistent decline in wholesale rates of pulses and other items. “How can the city government give the sole mandate to the Water Pump Association which does not represent the traders of the entire city,” he asked.