President of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), Muffasar Atta Malik has urged the Sindh government and Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) to take stringent action against those profiteers and hoarders who are responsible for looting the masses and creating a situation in which many commodities largely being used during Sehri and Iftaar have gone beyond the reach of the public, particularly the poor segment of society.
Expressing deep concern over soaring prices of many household commodities on the evee of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak, he stressed that all departments of Sindh government and KMC concerned should monitor commodities' prices, particularly fruits, vegetables and other important kitchen items on daily basis and no one should be allowed to exploit the public. "Strategies should be devised to provide some relief to the common man who is already overburdened", he added
He noted that prices of many household commodities, fruits and vegetables etc have been raised by vendors due to lack of efficient price control mechanism, resulting in further intensifying the hardships being faced by the poor masses. "A large number of citizens have been complaining that the administration at district level has totally lost control over commodity prices, profiteering and hoarding", he added.
Globally, President KCCI said, prices of various commodities are immediately reduced and special offers/ discounts are given to welcome the holy month of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak but unfortunately, in Pakistan, the greedy profiteers immediately raise prices of kitchen products to get maximum profits and hoarders create artificial shortages.
President KCCI said that although Price Lists are regularly issued by KMC but no shopkeeper bothers to adhere the prices quoted in these lists and they continue to overcharge the customers without any kind of fear.
"To deal with this issue, I would like to recommend that special inspection teams comprising honest officers should be deployed at all markets in liaison with relevant market associations whereas complaint centers should also be established to effectively monitor prices, promptly respond to any complaint and indiscriminate action must be taken against profiteers and hoarders by imposing fines and sending them to jail.