ISLAMABAD: The hike in prices of petroleum products has resulted in not only across-the-board increase in transportation costs but also resulted in rise in the prices of essential kitchen items, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder here on Tuesday.
Traders told this correspondent that two factors have played a role in the current price escalation, first new budget 2024-25 where the government has taxed everything and second increase in petrol and diesel prices.
Traders and transporters said that the moves have not only increased the prices of essential kitchen items, household items and other daily use items but also increased rates of stationery, clothing, shoes, jewellery and others.
Transporters said that following an increase in petrol and diesel prices they have across the board increased transport fares as public service vans plying inside the cities increased stop-to-stop fares by Rs 2 per passenger, intercity buses hiked fares in the range of Rs 25-200 per passenger depending on the distance and the service. Taxis, rickshaws, loaders and other private transporters have also hiked the fares which has resulted in increasing the prices of everything. Moreover, Pakistan Railways has also hiked freight rates by three percent.
The survey noted that the wholesalers of all the essential kitchen items have increased the prices on the plea that the government has levied general sales tax on various items, saying that an increase was inevitable.
Wheat flour price increased by Rs 200 per 15kg bag or Rs 13.33 per kg as the best quality wheat flour price went up from Rs 1,280 to Rs 1,480 per 15kg bag in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs 1,520 against Rs 1,310 per 15kg bag, normal quality wheat flour bag is being sold at Rs 1,450 against Rs 1,250 per 15kg bag in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold at Rs 1,480 against Rs 1,280.
The traders prior to the budget approval increased the sugar price within the past one week by Rs 400 per 50kg bag as in the wholesale market, sugar is available at Rs 7,200 to Rs 6,800 per 50kg bag, while in retail, sugar is being sold at Rs 150 per kg.
Mutton and beef prices also went up as normal quality mutton is available at Rs 2,100 per kg against Rs 2,000 per kg, normal quality boneless beef price went up from Rs 1,200 per kg to Rs 1,250 per kg, and normal beef from Rs 1,000 per kg to Rs 1,050.
Tea prices witnessed no changes as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs 2,200 per 900grams pack and Islamabad Tea is available at Rs 1,800 per kg; turmeric powder price went up from Rs 700 to Rs 800 per kg and red chili powder price went up from Rs 550 to Rs 600 per kg.
The liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices are stable as the commodity is officially available at Rs 234 per kg while in the market, LPG price went up from Rs 290 to Rs 300 per kg, which is Rs 66 per kg higher than the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s set price of Rs 234 per kg.
The prices of the branded spices such as Shan, National, and others, witnessed no changes as a pack of 39 grams spice is available at Rs 130.
Following an increase in the prices of edible items, the restaurant and hotel owners are also all set to increase the prices of cooked food items in the range of 10 to 20 percent. At present, the price of a cooked daal plate at a normal hotel is Rs 250 and a cooked vegetable plate is Rs 250 which is likely to go up to Rs270 per plate.
Rice prices witnessed an increase as in the wholesale market the best quality basmati rice price went up from Rs 9,000 to Rs 11,800 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs 330 against Rs 280 per kg, normal quality Basmati price went up from Rs 8,400 to Rs 9,500 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs 270 against Rs 230 per kg, and broken Basmati price went up from Rs 7,300 to Rs 8,000 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs 220 against Rs 185 per kg.
Ghee/cooking oil prices witnessed an increase as B-grade ghee/oil price went up from Rs 5,400 to Rs 5,800 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs 350-360 per pack, while best quality cooking oil/ghee brands such as Dalda ghee are available at Rs 2,450 per 5kg tin and cooking oil at Rs 2,500 per 5-litre bottle.
Pulses prices witnessed an increase as best quality maash is available at Rs 540 per kg against Rs 525, gram pulse retail price witnessed an increase of Rs 90 as it went up from Rs 240 to Rs 330 per kg, whole gram pulse from Rs 300 to Rs 330 per kg, various varieties of bean lentils are available in the range of Rs 360-560 per kg, moong price went up from Rs 280 to Rs 300 per kg, and masoor price went up from Rs 280 to Rs 300 per kg.
Packed milk prices recorded a significant increase as the price of small pack of Milk Pak went up from at Rs 75 per pack to Rs 95, litre pack price from Rs 270to Rs 370 per litre pack. The suppliers of fresh milk are also all set to increase milk price from Rs 220 per kg to Rs 250 per kg and yoghurt price from Rs 250 per kg to Rs 280 per kg. Powder Milk like Nido and Lactogen prices also increased as 400 gram powder milk price went up from Rs 1,150 to Rs 1,320 and 200 gram pack from Rs 600 to Rs 700 per pack.
According to traders, so far detergents’ and bathing soaps’ prices have not increased as Safeguard family size pack is available at Rs 170, family size Lux at Rs 130, and Ariel Surf and other detergents at Rs 600 per kg pack, but in the coming days,
prices of these items will also go up.
Cold drink prices also went up as family-size Pepsi, Coke, Mirinda and other prices went up from Rs 210 per bottle to Rs 230 per bottle. Razor like Gillette Blue 3 price went up from Rs 1,700 per 10 packet to Rs 2,300 per 10 packet.
Former Economic Adviser to the Finance Ministry Dr Ashfaque Hassan Khan said that the increase in prices of petroleum products have a direct impact in fueling inflation.
With the increase in petroleum products prices, the input cost of production increases, said Khan, further adding that it also results in increasing the transportation charges which directly contribute to inflation.
Hence, the increase in production cost and transportation charges is passed on to the end consumers and results in increasing inflation in the country, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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