KARACHI, Nov 6: Consumers are set to pay higher prices for edible items on the first day of Ramazan owing to the absence of any authorised price list.

Retailers will virtually enjoy a free hand to make money by charging prices on their own. Shopkeepers of various areas said that they had not received any authorised price list.

“The price list is in the process of being printed,” a spokesman of the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) said without giving any reason for the delay in the issuance of price list a day earlier before the holy month.

“The new list will be available on Thursday and then it will be distributed among retailers and wholesalers,” he said without giving any specific time.

A retailer in Korangi said that shopkeepers were expected to get the new list by Friday morning and the new prices would become effective as soon as they got the new list.

When contacted, a city government official said that the Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) had been given the responsibility for printing the list.

“I do not know why the price list has been delayed despite the fact the city Nazim had approved the rates by 7 pm on Tuesday,” the official said.

In the absence of any price list, retailers will be free to charge any prices as it will be difficult for consumers to lodge any complain against overcharging before any competent authority due to the non-availability of the authorised list.

Last year the price list was also delayed due to last minute changes in the rates of pulses. The retailer body is also tightlipped over the delay.

The most pressing issue now is to check profiteering in the holy month. Last year the city administration failed to check soaring prices of essential commodities, particularly fruits and vegetables. Town Nazims and the DDO revenue were kept waiting for a notification of being entrusted with the powers to challan retailers for overcharging.

The situation now is not much different. Town Nazims will visit the markets, but can only spot and warn vendors against overcharging the consumers.