Latest news with #RamazanBazaars
Express Tribune
09-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Price control efforts fail
Commissioner announces 20 Ramazan Bazaars for three districts in Sahiwal division. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE The district administration's 60 price control magistrates and assistant commissioners seem helpless in tackling the soaring cost of essential commodities. Ramazan bazaars, once a source of relief for the public, have lost their purpose due to a lack of subsidies, while utility stores across the city stand deserted because there are no discount packages this year. The situation has forced people to boycott fruits altogether as prices spiral beyond their reach. At present, sugar is being sold for Rs170 per kg, white chickpeas at Rs400 per kg, and lentils at rates that continue to pinch consumers' pockets. Meat prices are no different, with chicken meat at Rs780 per kg, mutton at an eye-watering Rs2,400 per kg, and beef at Rs1,400 per kg. Dairy products have also seen a surge, with milk costing Rs220 per litre and yogurt selling for Rs240 per kg. Fruit and vegetable prices have skyrocketed, making even the most basic produce a luxury. Bananas are going for Rs300 per dozen, oranges for Rs600 per dozen, and dates range from Rs700 to Rs1,600 per kg. Even traditional Ramazan snacks aren't spared, with samosas costing Rs600 per dozen, pakoras ranging from Rs650 to Rs700 per kg, and kachori priced at Rs180. With no relief in sight, citizens are growing increasingly frustrated, demanding stricter price regulations and immediate government intervention.
Express Tribune
24-02-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Ramazan and price hike
As Ramazan approaches, profiteering has once again tightened its grip on markets across Punjab. The price of essential items - fruits, sugar and staple goods - has surged, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to afford basic necessities. Lahore, a major urban centre, is witnessing particularly steep hikes, with no effective intervention in sight. Unlike previous years, the Punjab government has yet to announce Ramazan Bazaars or fair-price shops, leaving citizens to fend for themselves in an already fragile economy. This inflationary cycle plays out every year, yet authorities remain unprepared. Demand spikes ahead of Ramazan are no surprise, nor are the exploitative prices that follow. Hoarders and profiteers, emboldened by weak enforcement, continue to manipulate markets, while official price control mechanisms exist only on paper. The government's token response - selling sugar at Rs130 per kilogram at a few designated points - does little to impact open market rates. Without broader intervention, prices will keep rising, pushing more households into financial distress. In order to address this year on year crisis, the government must move past routine price monitoring. Strict action against market manipulators and proactive regulation of supply chains can prevent unnecessary inflation. The absence of Ramazan Bazaars this year is inexcusable. These markets have historically provided relief to consumers, and their discontinuation signals a lack of urgency from policymakers. Religious scholars have also urged traders to offer discounts in the spirit of Ramazan, but morality cannot be left to voluntary goodwill alone. Without state intervention, calls for fairness will remain just calls. Businesses must be held accountable for exploitative pricing, ensuring that profiteering does not overshadow the principles of generosity and community that define this holy month. The rising cost of living has already stretched household budgets to the limit. If the state cannot ensure price stability during Ramazan, it will be a damning indictment of poor governance.
Express Tribune
28-01-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pindi plans subsidised Ramazan bazaars
RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema has called a joint meeting of all departments concerned, wholesalers of food items and essential commodities, and fruit and vegetable market dealers next week to set up 16 cheap Ramzan Bazaars. Ramazan Bazaars are being established across the district to supply vegetables, fruits, pulses, flour, and sugar at subsidised rates during the holy month of Ramazan. The bazaars, which will be covered with marquees to provide shelter from rain, will operate from 8am to 5pm. The wholesale dealers will be allotted stalls free of charge. Under the Punjab government's special Ramazan subsidy package, various items, including vegetables, lentils, sugar, flour, ghee, oil, chicken, eggs, and meat, will be available at discounted rates. In Rawalpindi city, these bazaars will be set up at Committee Chowk, Haidri Chowk, Allama Iqbal Park, Dhok Hassu, Morgah, Gulzar-e-Quaid, Cantonment areas, Chungi No. 22, Dhok Syedan, Sadiqabad, and Choher Harpal. In addition, one bazaar each will be set up in the tehsils of Kahuta, Kallar Syedan, Gujar Khan, and Taxila. To facilitate these bazaars, private vendors will be engaged to provide tents, canopies, chairs and stall tables.
