ISLAMABAD: The prices of essential kitchen items have witnessed a reduction during this week past against the previous week, revealed a survey carried out by Business Recorder, here on Saturday.
The survey noted that after a reduction in petroleum product prices, the long distance transporters like buses, trucks and trains have reduced their fares by Rs100-200 per passenger and per mund goods, while local transporters like taxis, rickshaws, vans and mini buses have not passed on the benefit to the end consumers. Normal air condition buses plying between Lahore Islamabad have reduced the fares by Rs100 per passenger from Rs1,800 to Rs1,700 and executive class buses reduced their fares from Rs3,000 to Rs2,800. Pakistan Railways has reduced passenger fares in the range of Rs100 to Rs150 per passenger depending on the distance and good transports plying across the country have also reduced their fares.
The survey noted a reduction in wheat flour price as the best quality flour is available at Rs1,380 from Rs1,400 per 15kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs1,440 per kg against Rs1,520 and normal quality price went down from Rs1,450 to Rs1,380 per 15kg bag which in retail is being sold at Rs1,420 against Rs1,480 per bag.
Sugar price witnessed a decline in the wholesale market as the commodity is available at Rs7,100 against Rs7,200 per 50kg bag, while in retail, sugar is being sold at Rs150 per kg. Chicken prices went down from Rs16,200 to Rs15,200 per 40kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold at Rs430 per kg against Rs445 per kg and chicken meat is available at Rs700 per kg against Rs750, egg price is stable at Rs7,500 per carton of 30 dozens which in retail is being sold at Rs260-270 per dozen.
Mutton and beef prices remained stable as normal quality mutton is available at Rs2,100 per kg, normal quality boneless beef at Rs1,250 per kg, and normal beef at Rs1,050.
Tea prices witnessed no changes as Lipton Yellow Label is available at Rs2,200 per 900grams pack and Islamabad Tea is available at Rs1,800 per kg; turmeric powder price went up from Rs600 to Rs900 per kg and red chilli powder price is stable at Rs600 per kg.
The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices went up as the official commodity price hiked upward from Rs234 to Rs236 per kg while in the real market, LPG is being sold at Rs300 per kg, which is Rs64 per kg higher than the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA)’s set price of Rs236 per kg. The prices of branded spices such as Shan, National, and others, witnessed no changes as a pack of 39 grams spice is available at Rs130.
Following an increase in the prices of edible items during past few weeks, the restaurant and hotel owners have also increased the prices of cooked food items in the range of 10 to 20 percent.
The price of a cooked daal/vegetables plate at a normal hotel is being charged at Rs270 against Rs250 and naan/roti at Rs25/30 against Rs20/25.
Rice prices witnessed no a decline as the best quality basmati rice in wholesale market is available at Rs11,500 against Rs11,800 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs320 against Rs330, normal quality Basmati at Rs9,200 against Rs9,500 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs270 per kg, and broken Basmati at Rs8,000 per 40kg bag, which in retail is being sold at Rs220 per kg.
Ghee/cooking oil prices remained stable as B-grade ghee/oil is available vat Rs5,500 per carton of 16 packs in the wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs350-360 per pack, while best quality cooking oil/ghee brands such as Dalda ghee are available at Rs2,450 per 5kg tin and cooking oil at Rs2,500 per 5-litre bottle.
Pulses prices witnessed an increasing trend as the best quality maash is available at Rs600 against Rs540 per kg, gram pulse at Rs350 against Rs330 per kg, whole gram pulse at Rs350 against Rs330 per kg, various varieties of bean lentils are available in the range of Rs550-600 against Rs360-560 per kg, moong at Rs300 per kg, and masoor price at Rs300 per kg.
Packed milk prices such as Milk Pak and Olpers are available at Rs95 per 260 ml pack, Rs370 per litre pack. The suppliers of fresh milk in some parts of the twin cities have increased milk price from Rs220 per kg to Rs250 per kg and yoghurt price from Rs250 per kg to Rs280 per kg. A month ago the suppliers of powder milk such as Nido and Lactogen prices also have increased the product prices as 400 gram powder milk price went up from Rs1,150 to Rs1,320 and 200 gram pack from Rs600 to Rs700 per pack.
According to traders, so far detergents’ and bathing soaps’ prices have not increased as Safeguard family size pack is available at Rs170, family size Lux at Rs130, and Ariel Surf and other detergents at Rs600 per kg pack, but in the coming days, prices of these items will also go up.
The prices of various brands of cold drinks such as Pepsi, Coke, Miranda and others remained stable as family-size bottle is available at Rs230.
Overall, vegetables prices witnessed a declining trend. Ginger price went down from Rs3,400 to Rs2,800 per 5kg in wholesale market, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs600-650 per kg against Rs700-800 per kg, local garlic price is stable at Rs1,700 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs400-425 per kg and Quetta garlic price went down from Rs2,200 to Rs1,800 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs425-450 against Rs500-525 per kg.
Potato prices went down from Rs300-450 to Re250-350 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold between Rs65-90 against Rs75-110 per kg, tomato prices went down from Rs450-500 per 5kg to Rs400-450 per 5kg in the wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs90-120 per kg against Rs100-140 per kg, and onion price is stable at Rs300-450 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs75-110.
Capsicum price went up from Rs550 to Rs600 per 5kg in the wholesale market which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs145-160 against Rs130-150, various varieties of pumpkin are available in the range of Rs400-600 against Rs350-750 per 5kg in wholesale market, which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs80-150 per kg against Rs85-190 per kg; various types of tindas are available in the range of Rs400-500 against Rs600-800 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs120-175 against Rs140-200 per kg; eggplant price went down from Rs800 to Rs600 per 5kg, which in retail are being sold at Rs145-175 against Rs190-220 per kg; cauliflower price went down from Rs600 to Rs500 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs120-130 against Rs130-140, and cabbage price went down from Rs700 to Rs550 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Rs120-140 against Rs160-180. Bitter gourd price went down from Rs300 to Rs250 per 5kg which in retail is being sold in the range of Rs655-70 against Rs75-80 per kg, green chilli are available in the range of Re100-130 against Rs90-110 per kg, carrot price went down from Rs400 to Rs300 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs90-90 against Rs90-100 per kg and cucumber price went up from Rs250 to Rs350 per 5kg, which in retail is being sold at Ra90-95 against Rs60-70 per kg.
Yam price went down from Rs650 to Rs550 per 5kg which in retail is being sold at Rs130-140 per kg against Rs140-155 per kg; turnip price is stable at Rs350 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs70-90, peas price went up from Rs1,100 to Rs1,300 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs290-320 against Rs235-270 per kg, okra price went down from Rs550 to Rs500 per 5kg which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs120-130 against Rs130-140 per kg and fresh bean price went down from Rs800 per 5kg to Rs700 which in retail are being sold in the range of Rs160-190 per kg against Rs190-210 per kg.
Fruit prices also witnessed declining trend as Iranian Kala Killo apple are available at Rs275-300 against Rs300-350, white apples are available in the range of Rs100-180 per kg against Rs110-200 per kg and Gaia apple at Rs150-175 against Rs175-200 per kg. Bananas price went down from Rs100-250 to Rs70-150 per dozen; various varieties of melons are available in the range of Rs70-90 against Rs80-120 per kg various varieties of pears are available in the range of Rs100-130 per kg against Rs120-150 per kg. Various varieties of peaches are being sold in the range of Rs100-225 per kg against Rs130-250 per kg. Apricot is being sold at Rs170-200 per kg against R220-250 per kg, plumps in the range of Rs100-350 against Rs160-450 per kg and mangoes in the range of Rs70-225 per kg against Rs70-250 per kg.
People from different segments of society while talking to this correspondent said that despite a significant reduction in the prices of vegetables and fruits, the retailers are not passing on the full benefit to the end consumers. People said that the retailers are always violating the official price list and sell all the items on higher prices.
They blamed that due to ineffective monitoring by commissioners, Deputy Commissioners (DCs), Assistant Commissioners (ACs), the special price control magistrates, and other relevant departments, the consumers were at the mercy of the vendors as they were free to charge their own prices of not only vegetables and fruits but of other items too. They said one vendor was selling tomatoes at Rs60 per kg while another at Rs70 per kg of same quality while the official price is Rs55 per kg, mutton on some shops was available at Rs2,000 per kg and same quality of mutton was being sold at Rs2,200 per kg at others, wheat flour was available at Rs1,330 per 15kg bag on one shop and another shopkeeper was selling same quality of the commodity at Rs1,350.
They urged the government to strictly enforce official price list daily and weekly and prepare it in consultation with the respective traders’ unions and punish the violators.
However, Business Recorder also observed a serious difference between the official prices of various items and market prices. It also observed retailers, vendors, and other sellers are not displaying official price list of household items at a prominent place and are not even providing on demand.
According to traders, over the past few years, continuous increase in fuel and utilities’ costs significantly contributed to increasing the prices. They attributed around 20 percent increase in the prices of all the items to increase in gas and electricity bills. Traders are also forced to move up their margins to meet ever increasing expenditure from salaries to transportation costs and other miscellaneous expenses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
Comments
Comments are closed.