ISLAMABAD, June 12: Before the announcement of federal budget 2002-2003 on June 15, the price of 20kg bag of wheat flour has gone up by Rs2 in the country due to sudden increase in the rates of wheat.

“The rate of wheat flour will be increased further by Rs3 within the next couple of days,” the advisor of Pakistan Flour Mills Association (PFMA), Bilal Sufi, told Dawn on Wednesday.

With the increase of Rs2, a 20kg bag of wheat flour is now being sold at Rs178 at retail level against its previous price of Rs176, a wholesaler said.

“Similarly, 80kg bag of wheat flour is being sold at Rs700 in wholesale against its previous cost of Rs684.” At retail level, unpacked wheat flour is being sold at Rs11 to Rs13 per kg against its previous rate of Rs10 per kg, the trader added.

He said a bag of 80kg fine quality wheat flour was available at Rs840, while two days ago, the rate was Rs810 in the wholesale market.

The PFMA advisor said the settled price of 20kg bag of wheat flour would be increased by Rs191 against its present rate of Rs178.

He said the ongoing meetings between the PFMA office-bearers and the government officials would settle the new rate of 20kg bag of wheat flour. “We are expecting that the new rate will be settled within a month or so,” he hoped.

He said the government had increased the price of wheat as a result of which mill owners had to buy 40kg wheat at a cost Rs315. However, a couple of days before, the rate of 40kg wheat was Rs285, he said.