A FEDREAL minister recently urged the private sector to increase the salaries of its employees because the government could not provide subsidies to every sector. While he was clearly opposed to the idea of subsidies, a few of his cabinet colleagues have been publicly in favour of them.

That confusion apart, the minister’s statement was rather strange, coming as it did in the wake of an unprecedented hike in petroleum prices. It is hard to comprehend why the private sector will pay any heed to the minister’s advice when the government itself does not care about the people reeling under backbreaking inflation across the country

Whenever there is a rise in petrol prices, everybody from grocery shops and medical stores to vegetable and fruit vendors increase the prices overnight. Commodities are sold at a higher price even before the increase in petroleum products comes into effect. But there is hardly anyone to check such malpractices.

In addition to the petroleum prices, electricity and natural gas tariffs are moving upwards, making the life of the people miserable.

This inflation is leading the country towards anarchy and we may see people taking to the streets and becoming aggressive if this trend is not stopped.

Inflation causes poverty, which gives birth to social crimes, mental illnesses and a sense of deprivation and inferiority complex among the people.

The minister’s statement was nothing more than an effort to pass on the buck. The private sector will never increase the salaries of its employees.

Fawad Hussain Samo
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2021