Hike in POL products' prices: small traders warn government of countrywide protests

Small traders on Wednesday called for reversal of the recent hike in POL products' prices, saying the government move of making fuel costlier by 9.9 percent would sink their businesses. They also warned the government of countrywide protests and strikes if it failed to bring down the fuel prices immediately.
"Trade associations are meeting on March 5 (Saturday) to review the business and commercial situation after the fresh gigantic increase in fuel prices," Chairman All Karachi Tajir Ittehad, Muhammad Atiq Mir told Business Recorder. He said the meeting was aimed at chalking out a strategy for a possible strike against the recent anti-trade move by the government.
He said gas, electricity and now surge in fuel prices would badly affect business activities in the country. Atiq Mir said small traders from all parts of the country would leave no stone unturned to force the government to bring the fuel prices down.
"Businessmen community will soon start campaigns against the government's continued anti-trade policies for which a plan is under consideration," the chairman traders' alliance said. He also termed the fresh increase in fuel prices as "unwise", decision of the government amid already soaring inflation and huge unemployment.
"About 60 percent people of the poor class are unable to feed their family on an every day basis due to soaring commodity prices in the wake of fuel price surge," Atiq Mir was of the view. He showed concerns about further increase of about 20 percent in the commodities' prices if the government did not reverse the increase in fuel price.