Ramazan profiteers dominate Karachi markets

As 62-year-old Muhammad Kareem makes his way home for the first iftar of Ramzan after a long day at work with a bag full of vegetables in his hand, he stops to buy some fruit for his family too.

But it is too expensive.

The fruit seller, Zameer, laughs at Kareem when he asks for the government-assigned rates. “Agar sarkar ki rate list par fruits bechay tu bus phir ho gaya kaam [If I sell fruit at the government’s price list, I won’t make money],” says Zameer.

“Non-Muslims across the world are selling basic commodities at low prices to facilitate Muslims during Ramazan, but in Pakistan, the situation is the opposite,” says Kareem.

A rate list is issued by the Commissioner House in Karachi every Ramazan to ensure the sale of fruits, vegetables, grocery and other essential items at a controlled price set by the government. But vendors set their own prices and continue to fleece the public.

Related: Pakistan and Ramazan: one country, two moons

Bilqees Bibi, a customer at a market in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, said “We [the public] are always at the receiving end of buying fruits, vegetables and other essentials in Ramazan at very high rates.”

The practice has been continuing for decades, she says, adding that the district administration always pays only lip service when it comes to price implementation.

SAMAA Digital did a small-scale market survey and found that fruits, vegetables, chicken and other grocery items are being sold in violation of the set price lists.

Bananas are being sold for Rs150 per dozen, apples for Rs350 to Rs400 per kilogramme, peaches for Rs160 per kg, water melons for Rs40 per kg, hush melons for Rs120 per kg, cheekos at Rs150 per kg and sarda for Rs130 per kg.

Interestingly, the fruits available in the market are of the second category, however, they are being sold at rates even higher than that prescribed for first category fruits.

Following are the first and second category rates that should be followed, according to the price list issued on first Ramzan by the Commissioner House.

First Category

Bananas – Rs83 per dozen

Apples – Rs189 per kg

Husk Melons – Rs70 per kg

Cheeko – Rs95 per kg

Second Category

Bananas – Rs63 per dozen

Apples – Rs105 per kg

Husk Melons – Rs58 per kg

Cheeko – Rs75 per kg

Water melon is the only fruit which is available in the market as per the rate list at Rs43 per kg.

Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani, when contacted, reiterated his usual statement, “Monitoring teams have been formed at the district level to overview and implement the government rates during Ramazan.”

Related: Eating in public during Ramazan can land you in jail

He said a fine would be imposed on profiteers. However, no profiteer had been fined till the filing of this report.

Consumer Rights Association Chairperson Kaukab Iqbal said the authorities have failed to control the prices of basic commodities at the advent of Ramazan.

Iqbal said a price controlling system should be activated at any cost.

“Profiteers should be sent to jail. A fine is not a solution,” he said, adding that the deputy commissioners are not working properly to control the prices.

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Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/05/ramazan-profiteers-dominate-karachi-markets/