People have complained that hoarders and profiteers have started fleecing the consumers ahead of the budget as prices of all essential eatable items have been inccreased on fictitious grounds. The miseries of the common man have been increased manifold due to sky rocketing inflation, they pointed out.
It has become routine matter to raise the prices of almost all items before and after the budget every year, the consumers said.
Despite tall claims of the government to check profiteering and hoarding, the fact is contrary to it, several housewives remarked.
"The prices of ghee, flour, rice, milk, pulses, meat, vegetables and fruits have registered sharp increase during last few days without any valid grounds" a market survey revealed.
When a bewildered consumer asks the shop-keeper the reason of increase, he is told that the factory owners are responsible of it. On the other hand the factory and mill owners maintain that since the prices of electricity, gas, water charges and other utilities have been increased by the government they have no other option but to shift the burden to the consumers, as they can not run their business in loss.
Enhanced prices of products mean enhanced sales tax for the government. So if the price of a product is increased, the revenue of the government in the form of sales tax is automatically increased, a shopkeeper expressed the view.
The Prime Minister says that high rate of inflation is due to the fact that the purchasing power of the consumers has been increased and that the people''s income has registered increase over the years due to the present government''s wise economic policy, so they can afford high prices.
President Musharraf says that the people of Pakistan are more financially strong than before. Those who were having cycles are now owners of motorcycles and those who had motorcycles are now owners of cars.
Whatever may be the viewpoint of the President and the PM on price escalation, the fact is that the purchasing power of those families has increased whose members are earning abroad and sending remittances to them. From income earned in Pakistan it is rather impossible to purchase motor cycles and cars.
General public has drawn attention of the government towards the uselessness of price control committees as they do not move out from their air-conditioned offices and visit markets to check prices. These committees are in fact non-existent, they are merely on papers, large number of people held the view.
Despite being warned to display price list the shopkeepers have paid no heed to it, as they know that no action will be taken against them.
The prices of all brands of one litre pack processed milk, which was selling at Rs 38 few days back have been increased to Rs 42. Similarly the prices of ghee has been increased by Rs 21 to 23 per kilo. The prices of essential kitchen items have upset the budget of the common people.
In western countries and even in S.Arabia the eatable items'' prices remain unchanged and no increase is allowed with a view to provide relief to the common man.
The people say that they are now fed up with hollow promises on occasion of every national budget. They want concrete action against price spiral as the continuous trend of inflation has increased the poverty and number of poor and down trodden people in the country.
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