KARACHI, Aug 6: The buying spirit for national flags ahead of 65th Independence Day lacks enthusiasm this year due to inflation, limited purchasing power, and also as people are opting to meet their requirements for Ramazan and Eid.
Traders, who have set up roadside stalls, complain about dull activity and lack of buyers as compared to last year as Independence Day fell in the middle of Ramazan in 2011 but this year it will fall just six days before Eidul Fitr.
Alongside, fewer roadside stalls of national flags have been set up and traders at Daakhana Liaquatabad said they put 50 per cent less on display than last year.
Anticipating thin demand, traders said manufacturers have produced 50 per cent less items, compared with last year.
However, due to a rising cost of production, there has been an increase in prices in all items related to Independence Day, such as a small flag of almost A4 paper size costing Rs10-15 in 2011, now sells at Rs20, while a national flag plastic badge is being sold at Rs10 as compared to Rs5 last year.
They said that high cost of living has also hit the consumers’ enthusiasm. The stall owners said “we are waiting for the last three days prior to the Independence Day hoping huge turn up of buyers.”
Disagreeing over markets traders’ claim of price hike this year, Shaikh Nisar Ahmed of VIP Flags told Dawn that due to low demand neither his company nor other manufacturers had raised prices.
He said the retail prices of flags vary from area to area depending on retailers’ profit. For example, he said he produces (36x54) size of flag at Rs70-75 per flag but retailers charge Rs100-150 in different areas.
The demand for the national flag seems to be sluggish across the country.
“Around 70 per cent buyers from Quetta, Punjab and mainly Sindh have not arrived in Karachi for lifting of flags,” Ahmed said.
“Overall sales in the country have been flat by more than 50 per cent.”
Claiming his company’s share in total production of flags is more than 50 per cent, Ahmed said that he produced one million to 1.2 million flags for the 14th August a few years back as compared to current production of 200,000-250,000 flags of various sizes.
He claimed that many traders are selling last year’s unsold stock.
He also linked thin flag sales to government’s half-hearted initiative to celebrate the Independence Day in a befitting manner.