Hoarding of essential commodities and their smuggling to Afghanistan has caused substantial increase in the prices of sugar, rice, ghee and pulses, giving the citizens more shock before the start of Ramazan in southern Punjab's Multan , Bahawalpur, and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.
The prices of rice have surged to Rs 110 from Rs 100 per kg, and ghee has become costlier by Rs 5 to Rs 130 per kg. Gram pulse is being sold at Rs 64 per kg against Rs 60 per kg, gram flour (besan) at Rs 80 per kg against Rs 70, sugar at Rs 36 against Rs 31 and masoor pulse at Rs 140 against Rs 130.
The highest rise was witnessed in price of flour which has been raised by Rs 80 per 20 kg bag. Fine flour price has increased from Rs 470 to Rs 550 per 20 kg bag. Dealers, fearing shortage of flour during Ramazan, have started hoarding the commodity due to which it has recorded a sharp increase. On the other hand, consumers are also busy in buying more flour than normal so that they face no shortage in Ramazan.
Smuggling of essential edibles to Afghanistan is another major reason of the price hike, while hoarders have taken away most of the items such as sugar, ghee, rice and pulses from the market to pocket more money in Ramazan when demand of these commodities surges.
Abdul Rahim, a wholesale dealer in Ghalla Mandi, Multan, said that the price of 50 kg rice bag had surged from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,100 during the past three days. Likewise, the rate of 50 kg sugar bag has also jumped from Rs 1,480 to Rs 1,600.
Another dealer, Amjid Akbar, said that the main reason of the current inflation was smuggling of essential commodities to Afghanistan. "Our government has exempted customs duty on essential commodities to the neighbouring country. As a result, the prices of daily use items like sugar, ghee, rice and pulses are lower in Afghanistan than here," he said.
A resident of Gulgasht colony said that price hike before Ramazan has become a routine. Government functionaries have no control over the profiteers and the citizens have been left to the mercy of hoarders, he lamented. When approached, Nazim of Mumtazabad town, Jamil Ahmed, said that the Town administration would soon start a campaign against profiteers and hoarders.
"We have asked the shopkeepers to display price lists at their shops. Our food magistrates and other officials would conduct raids in the bazaars on daily basis and nobody would be allowed to fleece the masses. Stern action would be taken against those would be found overcharging the consumers," he added.
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