Increasing prices, decreasing purchasing power: sales of all kinds of goods decline

The ever increasing prices of goods, dwindling purchasing power of people and prevailing law and order situation has caused decrease in sale of all kinds of goods. Traders and industrialists have expressed concern over continuous decline in sale of almost all goods including cloths, readymade garments, cosmetic, electronic items, shoes, food items etc.
Besides decline in sale, the traders and industrials have started facing serious problem of delay in payments, which affect circulation of finances. Supply of goods to upcountry from wholesale market also registered decline, as people from upcountry are reluctant to travel and carry out purchases.
Factors that have resulted in increased prices of goods include ever increasing power and gas tariffs, high transportation charge, high interest rate, and depreciating rupee against dollar. Low trading activities, political instability, adverse law and order situation and high inflation are adversely affecting sale of goods. Acting President Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Younus Muhammad Bashir stated that sale of goods at retails market register decline due to ever increasing cost of doing business and cost of manufacturing, load shedding besides declining purchasing power which have hit the chain of business activities.
He expressed that Pakistan may become paradise for businesses if government managed to reduce power and gas tariffs, supply uninterrupted gas, water and power, improve law and order and reduce cost of doing business. Tahir Khaliq said that during just one month more than 150 vehicles of a distribution company were robbed which was shocking. He said that police was doing nothing and the government was acting like silent expatiator. Former President KCCI A. Q. Khalil said that only multinational companies were doing business in mobile phone and foods sector while the other were suffering heavily. He said that due to slow down in business activities supply of goods on 30 day credit now exceed 120 days. The list of defaulters was increasing rapidly, he added.
Amir Abdulla Zaki said that frequent strikes, announced and unannounced load shedding and prevailing law and order condition has put the business community in a very position. He said that the business community was very depressed by the prevailing condition and they see no rays of hope in near future.
Shamim Arif Firpo said that establishing a business took years whereas it destroyed in seconds. He claimed that turnover in businesses declined by almost 30 to 40 percent in last few months. He said that owing to these conditions business community was reducing the number of employees to cut their expenses. Durre Shehwar said that the ladies entrepreneurs were in more trouble as they start business with small capital of Rs 5 lcs to Rs 10 lcs and they can not afford to sustain delay in production of garment and other goods due to power load shedding.