The latest indications in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), Sensitive Price Index (SPI) and Wholesale Prices Index (WPI) are giving negative signals in respect of possible upward movement of the prices of essential items before and during the month of Ramazan, some dealers at different shops said.
People are fed up with the daily increase in prices and are hoping that the government would announce 'Ramazan Package' very soon, dealers said. "Sometimes the buyers insist to know the reason about the rise and we face difficulties to argue with them. Sharp rise in the wheat, sugar and other essential items have made the people sick and tired. So, they (buyers) start shouting at us for the rise in the prices," they added.
Market sources said that some sugar mills have hoarded stocks to sell during Ramazan for larger taking. The other reason for the sharp increase in the sugar price was decrease in sugarcane cultivation area and increase in international sugar prices, wholesale market men said.
It is expected that the city government would take measures to arrest unrealistic rise in the prices, especially during Ramazan, they added. They said that the government must keep a check over the demand and supply position.
According to the yearly review on Price Indices 2006-07, released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics (FBS), inflation rates based on CPI, SPI and WPI in 2006-07 increased by 7.77 percent, 10.82 percent and 6.94 percent, respectively, over 2005-06.
In an analysis the FBS said that data for last three years indicates that CPI and WPI were lower whereas SPI was higher in 2006-07 as compared with the years 2005-06. After the recent rains, the people are facing traffic jams due to dilapidated roads and are expecting that the city government will soon take steps to improve the situation.