KARACHI, Oct 14: The Meat Merchants Welfare Association (MMWA) has decided not to comply with the city government's price list but offered a voluntary reduction of Rs10 per kg in mutton and beef rates during the holy month of Ramazan.
The association, at a crucial meeting here on Thursday, discussed the situation arising out of the city government's move to notify official rates of meat for Ramazan. Describing the fixing of official rates as 'arbitrary', the association's general secretary Iqbal Qureishi said it was impossible for the meat sellers to follow the rate list because of the prices of live animal being on the higher side.
"We are ready to retail meat at official rates if the city government arranged an uninterrupted and adequate supply of animal to the meat merchants," he added. He pointed out that mutton was selling at Rs185 per kg in Islamabad.
Bachhia meat was selling at Rs110 and beef at Rs85 per kg despite the fact that the capital and other cities in Punjab had the advantage of getting supplies from nearby villages.
Even in Lahore, the mutton rate is tagged at Rs190 per kg, whereas beef is selling at Rs80-90 per kg. Unlike Lahore and many other cities, he said, Karachi had to bring livestock from Sindh interior, and even other provinces, which involved heavy logistic expenses and levies.
Mr Qureishi lamented that the city government had resorted to creating a situation that had prevailed during the previous Ramazan when it had arbitrarily fixed the meat rates relying upon the meat exporters.
"The government is again contemplating to involve the exporters who would take advantage of procuring livestock at reduced rates and enjoy their season without any hindrance by exporting the same at much higher rates."
He, however, did not disclose the association's future course of action in case its members were subjected to any action, as warned by the city government, for violating the official rate lists.
About the voluntary reduction, he announced that mutton of quality no.1, 2 and 3 would be sold at Rs210, Rs200 and Rs190 per kg as compared to the prevailing market rates of Rs220, Rs210 and Rs200 per kg, respectively.
The bachhia meat of quality no.1 and 2 would be available at Rs110 and Rs100 as against the existing rates of Rs120 and Rs110 per kg. Beef with bones would be retailed at Rs80 per kg as against the current price of Rs90 per kg whereas beef boneless would be available at Rs120 per kg.
OTHER COMMODITIES: The ongoing tussle between the city government and the wholesale commodity traders over prices during Ramazan has delayed printing of the price list. The traders have urged DCO Mir Hussain Ali to revise the officially notified prices.
The Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association (KWGA) in its letter to the DCO on Thursday said that wholesalers were willing to sell the commodities with a minimum profit but the prices fixed by the city government appeared much lower.
The Karachi Retail Grocers Group (KRGG) was not ready to clarify whether the price list issued by the city government had actually been sent to press or not. The list was supposed to be published and provided to the city government and retailers latest by Thursday evening.
A spokesman for the KRGG, when approached by Dawn on Thursday, did not explain the situation in clear terms. Meanwhile, market sources said that the list had not been sent to the press till Thursday. "The printed list is likely to be available in the markets by Friday or Saturday," they added.
On Wednesday, the major organizations of traders had strongly criticized the city government for, what they called, 'arbitrarily fixing' the prices of various commodities and forcing the wholesalers and retailers to follow its official list or face stern action.
The city government is likely to face another hurdle in keeping the prices stable in the early days of Ramazan as the DDOs are yet to be given magisterial powers that could enable them impose fines and take other measures to check overcharging, profiteering, hoarding, etc.
Sources said the condition that the DDOs must have an LLB degree and a vast experience, had caused the delay in completing the procedures with regard to vesting magisterial powers with the DDOs.