SHANGLA: The skyrocketing prices and inflation have forced several local traders including owners of vehicle showrooms to wind up their businesses and leave the country in search of jobs abroad.

Jehanzeb, the owner of a showroom owner in Bisham, recently closed his outlet and left for Kingdom Saudi Arabia to find a job as he had lost million of rupees in the business due to financial crises.

His brother Abdul Karim also got a visa of Saudi Arabia to work there as labourer and pay the debts.

Laiq Bacha, the manager of a showroom, said that his business was next to nil during the last one year. He said that people were visiting his showroom to sell their cars but there was no one to buy a vehicle.

The price hike has made the life of daily wagers and vendors a living hell as they can hardly earn Rs500 per day while Rs1,050 is required to buy a 20-kilogram flour bag.

Several dealers have shut their businesses and moved abroad for jobs

“I was working as labouerer at a school construction site at Rs700 daily wage but a week ago the work was stopped owing to shortage of funds. Now I am in search of work,” Namos Khan, a daily wager, told this scribe.

He said that people stopped constructing new buildings after increase in the prices of iron and cement.

Mohammad Rabi, a pushcart vendor selling corns and peanuts in Bisham, said that the prices of peanuts and corns were increased by 50 per cent.

He said that he had bought a bag of peanuts at Rs1,400 last year but last month he bought the same quantity of peanuts at Rs1,900.

Tariq Khan, a nanbai, termed 2019 as the worst year for his work. He said that government increased the price of 84-kilogram flour bag from Rs3,000 to Rs5,000.

He said that the rate of a gas cylinder was raised from Rs1,400 to Rs2,150 that caused him a heavy loss.

Mohammad Umar, a trader in Bisham, told this scribe the rates of per bag of flour and lentils were increased by Rs500 and Rs100 respectively as compared to that of previous year. He said that he was in loss.

The price of per kilogram tomato was increased by 35.4 per cent, onion 28.49 per cent, chicken 26.56 per cent, potato18.18 per cent, eggs 9.79 per cent, sugar 5.21per cent and cooking oil 3.22 per cent while the rate of milk powder was increased by 1.85 per cent.

The cabdrivers have also increased the fares after surge in prices of petroleum products.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Shangla, Maqbool Hussain said that 18 sale points were set up to provide flour to people at official rate.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2019