ISLAMABAD (July 18 2010): Prices of kitchen items like pulses, vegetables, wheat flour and milk are on the rise, a survey conducted by Business Recorder revealed. Producers of packed milk have once again created an artificial shortage of the product, taken as an indication of the intent to increase prices before the arrival of the Holy Month of Ramzam, said Sarfaraz Ahmed a shopkeeper at Faizabad area of Rawalpindi.
During the last month, prices of pulses and vegetables increased twice, and traders linked this hike to increase in General Sales Tax (GST) (which the government has increased from 16 percent to 17). It is pertinent to mention that GST is not levied on food items. Pulses including Mong, Mash, Grams, white Grams and Red Lobia are being sold at Rs 120, 170, Rs 60, Rs 100, and Rs 85 per kg respectively. A bag of Mash pulse 50kg per bad was available at Rs 6,400 up to mid June, which is now available at Rs 7,000, whereas per 50 kg bag of Mong pulse was being sold at Rs 4,800 and currently is available at Rs 6,400. The survey revealed that per kg mutton is being sold at Rs 400, beef at Rs 200 and chicken at Rs 130.
The price of sugar increased by Rs 4 per kg a few days back. The commodity was being sold at Rs 64 per kg and now is available at Rs 68. Kitchen items like red chili, salt, turmeric, packed and lose milk, green ilachi have also witnessed price increase. At the beginning of last month refined sugar was being sold at Rs 58 and at present the commodity is available at Rs 68, said a buyer, Ghulam Rabbani.
Tariq Mughal, a taxi driver said that despite the fact Pakistan has huge stocks of wheat and rice yet the people are not the beneficiaries. He criticised the government for considering to export about 2 million tons of wheat by providing subsidy to the exporters, but is not ready to provide cheap wheat flour during Ramzam to its own people.
Onions, potatos, arvi, cucumber, bengan, shimla mirch and tomatos are being sold at Rs 30, Rs 35, Rs 30, Rs 45, Rs 25, Rs 20, and Rs 35 respectively in near by areas of fruit and vegetable market, whereas these items are being sold at much higher prices in the posh areas. Garlic is being sold at Rs 180 per kg, Phool gobi (cauliflower) is being sold at Rs 30 per kilogram, which was previously being sold at Rs 24 per kilogram.
Shopkeepers revealed that during last month Nestle Company increased the price of per Kg powder milk (NIDO) by Rs 45, which previously was being sold at Rs 380 and now is available at Rs 425. They added that suppliers of soft drinks have reduced the margin of the shopkeepers. Similarly, Lipton Yellow Label, the main tea company instead of increasing the price has reduced the size of the packs from 200 grams to 190 grams and is charging the same rate. Likewise, Supreme has increased the price of 200 gram pack from Rs 115 to Rs 125. The price of ghee and cooking oil is stable in the market, but is likely to increase in the coming days as Ramazan is approaching.
During the last month, prices of pulses and vegetables increased twice, and traders linked this hike to increase in General Sales Tax (GST) (which the government has increased from 16 percent to 17). It is pertinent to mention that GST is not levied on food items. Pulses including Mong, Mash, Grams, white Grams and Red Lobia are being sold at Rs 120, 170, Rs 60, Rs 100, and Rs 85 per kg respectively. A bag of Mash pulse 50kg per bad was available at Rs 6,400 up to mid June, which is now available at Rs 7,000, whereas per 50 kg bag of Mong pulse was being sold at Rs 4,800 and currently is available at Rs 6,400. The survey revealed that per kg mutton is being sold at Rs 400, beef at Rs 200 and chicken at Rs 130.
The price of sugar increased by Rs 4 per kg a few days back. The commodity was being sold at Rs 64 per kg and now is available at Rs 68. Kitchen items like red chili, salt, turmeric, packed and lose milk, green ilachi have also witnessed price increase. At the beginning of last month refined sugar was being sold at Rs 58 and at present the commodity is available at Rs 68, said a buyer, Ghulam Rabbani.
Tariq Mughal, a taxi driver said that despite the fact Pakistan has huge stocks of wheat and rice yet the people are not the beneficiaries. He criticised the government for considering to export about 2 million tons of wheat by providing subsidy to the exporters, but is not ready to provide cheap wheat flour during Ramzam to its own people.
Onions, potatos, arvi, cucumber, bengan, shimla mirch and tomatos are being sold at Rs 30, Rs 35, Rs 30, Rs 45, Rs 25, Rs 20, and Rs 35 respectively in near by areas of fruit and vegetable market, whereas these items are being sold at much higher prices in the posh areas. Garlic is being sold at Rs 180 per kg, Phool gobi (cauliflower) is being sold at Rs 30 per kilogram, which was previously being sold at Rs 24 per kilogram.
Shopkeepers revealed that during last month Nestle Company increased the price of per Kg powder milk (NIDO) by Rs 45, which previously was being sold at Rs 380 and now is available at Rs 425. They added that suppliers of soft drinks have reduced the margin of the shopkeepers. Similarly, Lipton Yellow Label, the main tea company instead of increasing the price has reduced the size of the packs from 200 grams to 190 grams and is charging the same rate. Likewise, Supreme has increased the price of 200 gram pack from Rs 115 to Rs 125. The price of ghee and cooking oil is stable in the market, but is likely to increase in the coming days as Ramazan is approaching.
-www.brecorder.com
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