Prices of essential kitchen items as well as other daily use items have witnessed a significant increase, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed here on Saturday. The survey observed that prices of rice, wheat, wheat flour, tea, shampoo, soap, detergents, ghee, cooking oil, formula milk, cigarettes, pulses, iodised salt and other items witnessed a significant increase, following the presentation of the budget 2019-20 in the Parliament.
The survey observed immediate reflection of the budget on a number of household items like sugar price went up from Rs 3,200 to Rs 3,500 per 50kg bag; wheat price went up from Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,500 per 40kg; normal quality wheat flour price increased from Rs 760 to Rs 880 per 20kg bag; normal pack of Head & Shoulder shampoo from Rs 260 to Rs 300 per bottle; and rates of all the detergents have been increased by Rs 40 per kg.
However, the traders told this correspondent that prices of other items are likely to go up within the next two weeks owing to successive increase in petroleum prices and transportation cost during the last five months that have been increased by 30-40 percent. The traders also stated that the increase in gas and electricity prices have a significant impact on the prices of all daily use items.
Prices of all packed milk brands such as Milk Pack and Olpers have been increased from Rs 130 to Rs 135 per litre while after the finalisation of the budget, the prices are expected to go further up. Good quality ghee/cooking oil price has touched Rs 1,050 against Rs 870 per 5 litres and normal quality ghee/cooking oil like Fuji Ghee/cooking oil has reached Rs 140 from Rs 120 per 900 millilitres. Price of Lipton Yellow Label tea pack weighing 200 grams has reached from Rs 180 to Rs 210 per pack while price of Lipton Yellow Label per kg pack has reached from Rs 850 against Rs 750 per kg.
Safeguard bath soap family pack price has reached from Rs 60 to Rs 70 per pack and Lux bath soap price has reached Rs 65 from Rs 55 per pack. The prices of different brands of cigarettes have been increased by Rs 10-20 per pack. Wholesale prices of high quality brands like Dunhill and Gold Leaf have been increased by Rs 20 per pack.
Mutton price increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,150 per kg, boneless beef price went up from Rs 500 to Rs 550 per kg and beef with bones was available at Rs 500 against Rs 450 per kg. However, chicken and eggs prices witnessed a decline as chicken was available at Rs 5,600 against Rs 6,000 per 40kg which was being sold at Rs 160 against Rs 175 per kg in the retail market and eggs' price went down from Rs 80 to Rs 72 per dozen which was being sold at Rs 80 against Rs 90 per dozen in the retail market.
Onion price went up from Rs 150 to Rs 180 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 50 against Rs 45 per kg in the retail market; tomatoes price went down from Rs 200 to Rs 150 per 5kg which were being sold at Rs 40 against Rs 55 per kg in the retail market; and potatoes price remained stable at Rs 125 per kg which were being sold at Rs 35 per kg in the retail market.
Local garlic price went up from Rs 500 to Rs 900 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 240 against Rs 150 per kg in the retail market; Chinese garlic price went up from Rs 760 to Rs 1,000 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 250 against Rs 200 per kg in the retail market, ginger price went from Rs 1,050 to Rs 1,200 per 5kg which was being sold at Rs 300 against Rs 260 per kg in the retail market.