Profiteers, hoarders become active prior to Ramazan

At a time when prices of several food items, including pulses, vegetables, dairy products, have already registered an upward trend, Karachiites apprehend that high quality vegetables and fruits would either disappear from the markets or would be sold at exorbitant rates in the ensuing Ramazan.
However, Karachi administration's efforts to keep prices of essential commodities at reasonable level have, so far, not yielded any fruit. Commissioner Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said: "Karachi divisional and district administration have been carrying operations against profiteers and hoarders so as to ensure that prices of all essential food items and goods may remain stabilised in the ensuing Ramazan. So far, we have penalised 214 profiteers and recovered Rs0.4million as fine from them," he added.
He also admitted that profiteers were creating artificial shortage of commodities, besides violating rates fixed by government.
Listing the category of such profiteers, he said they include dairy owners, fruit and vegetable sellers, butchers and owners of general stores of different areas of the city.
Stills whole-sellers and retailers are selling their products on high rates. Even in Bachat Bazaars, prices of vegetable and fruit continued their upward spirals.
Already, prices of essential commodities have registered an upward trend as dairy milk was being sold between Rs80 and 88 per liter, yogurt (from Rs100 to 120 per kg) whereas flour in retail was being sold between Rs45 and Rs48 per kg.
Besides, prices of Basmati rice was currently ranging between Rs115 and Rs140 per kg, potatoes are being sold from Rs50 to Rs60 per kg, pulses are available (from Rs130 to 160 per kg) and eggs were being sold at Rs85 per dozen, low quality mango is available for Rs100 per kg and banana at Rs80 per dozen.
A resident of Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Perveen, said that all essential commodities, including vegetables and fruits, are sold at exorbitant rates during Ramazan because most of traders having no fear of Allah often indulge in profiteering and hoarding.
According to Inflation Monitor Report 2014, State Bank of Pakistan, rate of potatoes, ginger, guava, pistachio, pulse Moong and Masoor, have increased from 10 to 30 per cent as compared to last year. And inflation rate increased from 8.5 to 9.2 per cent on year on year basis.