Most essential items prices depict increase

Prices of some essential household items registered slight increase during the week ending on January 22, 2011 over the past week, according to a survey carried out by Business Recorder. It was noted during survey that the prices of live chicken, loose tea, washing soap, cucumber, tomatoes and chicken meat registered increase in prices, while the prices of different pulses, vegetables including onions, potato and other items remained almost unchanged.
Live chicken price increased by Rs 10 per kg, chicken meat price increased by Rs 20 per kg, tomato was up by Rs 5 per kg and orange price increased by Rs 10 per dozen from Rs 50 per to Rs 60 per dozen. The price of apples rose from Rs 80 per kg to Rs 100 per kg and guava from Rs 50 per kg to Rs 60 per kg. Soap manufacturers increased the price of small size Lifebuoy hand-washing soap by Rs 2, medium size by Rs 3, Lux small size prices increased by Rs 3 and medium size price by Rs 4 respectively.
Medicine traders at Bohr Bazaar (medicine wholesale market Rawalpindi) told Business Recorder that medicine manufacturers were also all set to increase medicine prices across the board. They said that the industry has requested the government to allow it to increase drug prices, and the authorities, including health ministry, have recommended a 7 percent increase in drug prices. After increase in drug prices, medical treatment would become more costly.
Onion prices decreased by Rs 10 as the commodity was being sold at Rs 40 per kg in wholesale market and Rs 45 in retail market, which a few days back was being sold at Rs 50 per kg at wholesale market and Rs 55-60 per kg at retail market. The survey also showed that prices of sugar, potato, garlic, ginger, apple, orange, cabbage and banana were stable.
Most of the people complained that shopkeepers were overcharging. Complaints were also registered about the sale of lower quality and adulterated items at A-grade rates. The buyers also complained that the vendors were not giving fruits and vegetables at the prescribed rates, adding that the vendors were selling non-sorted fruits and vegetables at the rates of the sorted.
The items which recorded decrease in their prices during the week were onions, potatoes, garlic, sugar, gur, mash pulse, masoor pulse, farm egg, loose vegetable ghee and gram pulse. Fruit and vegetable vendors said that they also belong to the poor class and are trying to manage food for their families, but due to high prices sales are low. They said that after working for over 12 to 15 hours they hardly earn Rs 300 to Rs 400 per day, which under the prevailing circumstance is not enough for a four-member family.
The items which recorded increase in their prices included bananas, LPG (11 kg cylinder), mustard oil, farm chicken, Irri-6 rice, salt powdered, broken basmati rice and vegetable ghee, red and green chillies, firewood, washing soap, fresh milk and average quality wheat flour. Ghulam Nabi, a trader, said that due to increase in prices and unemployment, crime rate was increasing with each passing day. He said that during the week alone dozens of vehicles and motorcycles were stolen in the city, besides incidents of house robberies.
He said that majority of the people are not buying garments, clothes, shoes and other imperishable items. Qadir Khan, a garments trader, said that a normal Shalwar-Kamees suit used to cost Rs 600 including stitching a year ago, and the same now costs Rs 900.