ICCI urges to control rising food prices

ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Monday urged to take measures for curbing the rising inflation on daily use commodities especially food items.

ICCI President Ahmad Hassan Moughal said due to rising inflation, purchasing power of consumers was reducing and this situation was not only affecting business activities, but also increasing the miseries of the general public.

He said the inflation could be judged from the fact that price of green chili in wholesale market had gone up to Rs140 per kg from Rs12 to 15 per kg and this item was selling at retail level from Rs 240 to 320 per kg.

He said the prices of some vegetables had also increased to Rs80 to 100 per kg from Rs50 to 60 per kg.

Similarly, the price of tomato had gone up to Rs120 to 140 per kg at retail level.

He urge for addressing supply chain issues and ensure availability of sufficient quantity of daily use items in markets to keep their prices at reasonable level.

He further emphasized to address all those issues that were giving rise to inflation to save the people from further problems.

ICCI Senior Vice President Rafat Farid and Vice President Iftikhar Anwar Sethi said despite being an agricultural country, Pakistan was importing millions of tons of pulses.

They said Pakistan was consuming 1.4 to 1.5 ton pulses and it was producing 500,000 to 600,000 tons of pulses while rest of the quantity was being imported from various countries including Canada, USA, Australia, Russian and others.

They said after meeting domestic demand, imported pulses could be converted into a good source of exports after value addition.

He urged the government for cooperating with private sector in value addition of surplus pulses for export that would open a new export sector for Pakistan besides helping in earning foreign exchange.