PESHAWAR: Business community here along with transporters and political parties on Sunday rejected the recent unprecedented increase in prices of petroleum products and urged the government to withdraw it immediately.
The local transporters have also called a wheel-jam strike against the rising fuel prices and warned increasing fares unilaterally if the government didn’t withdraw its decision forthwith.
Trader community, while rejecting the historic increase in fuel prices, called it detrimental for the country’s economy, businesses and industries.
Transporters leader Khan Zaman Afridi talking to this scribe said a meeting will be held today (Monday) at the Haji Camp Bus Terminal to decide about a wheel-jam strike or fare increase.
He said huge hike in petroleum prices had increased the misery of both transporters and commuters and therefore, it was time to raise a “forceful voice against this injustice.”
Afridi said that the transporters had around 10 unions of different categories and they all were united against the government’s decision to hike oil prices.
Ijaz Khan Afridi, acting president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) while talking to this scribe said the unprecedented hike in prices of petroleum products will bring a new storm of inflation that would adversely affect the business community and poor masses.
Urging the interim government to withdraw the gigantic hike in fuel prices in the best interest of the national economy, businesses and industries, he warned that the chamber along with traders will be forced to launch an agitation movement against it.
Criticising the government’s anti-business policies, Ijaz Afridi said business community had pinned high hopes on the caretaker government that they will take measures for putting the ailing economy on right track but instead doing that they have endorsed the steps of previous coalition government and increased the problems of the traders’ community, which is strongly condemnable.
“How can the national economy improve when the business community will face an uncertain situation and no remedial or corrective measures are being taken place by caretakers,” the SCCI chief questioned.
He asked the interim government to thoroughly review its policies and initiate consultation with chambers and relevant stakeholders to revive the crippling national economy.
Expressing fear that recent whopping increase in fuel prices would hit hard the businesses and industries, he said the inflation-hit business community and people had earlier protested against inflated electricity bills, and now their miseries will further increase after the massive increase in fuel prices.
Ijaz Afridi urged civil and military leadership to play their proactive role in putting the national economy on the right track. Otherwise, he expressed fear that the situation will be further aggravated which won’t be beneficial for the country’s economy.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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