"This insane, the government is doing nothing to check these prices" a woman complained (AFP)

Asif Farooqi, IOL Correspondent

ISLAMABAD, October 22 (IslamOnline.net) – Pakistani authorities have failed to successfully implement a proposed control mechanism to check price hike, an annual phenomenon attached with the advent of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, a market survey and interviews with consumers and vendors revealed.

The federal government had directed all city governments to put in place a mechanism to control price increases as Ramadan was approaching.

But market tours showed that the pricing mechanism was being flouted at most city markets where prices were on the rise by manifold in some cases.

Prices of vegetables and fruits have registered an increase of 20% to 30% whereas flour, lentils and spices are up by more than 50%.

Most of the stall vendors in downtown Islamabad and adjacent Rawalpindi blame the city administration for not doing enough to implement the price mechanism under which a price list was to be distributed in the markets weeks prior to the Ramadan.

"The price control committee was supposed to circulate a list of prices every morning but I haven’t received any in the last many days" Qazi Aslam, a shopkeeper in busy Aabpara market of Islamabad told IslamOnline.net.

He added that the members of the price control committees were asked by the administration to visit the markets daily to check the prices but they have yet to come out of their offices.

Another vendor said members of the administration set the prices but do not communicate it to the markets properly.

"They give a telephone call to every market telling them what would be that day’s prices. Is it possible to abide by verbal orders?" Tabrez Abbasi asked.

The shopkeepers said the administration should paste the official rate list on every shop and charge three rupees to that shop every day.

"This is the official method announced recently to counter price hike during Ramadan but less than a week from the holy month, I cant see a will to implement this," said Muhammad Ramzan, another shopkeeper.

Offended

Whatever the reasons, consumers are offended by what they said was "exasperated" prices of daily items.

"This insane, the government is doing nothing to check these prices" said a woman who refused to give her name while pointing towards a sack of flour which she said rose by 25 rupees per bag in the last one week.

She blamed the price hike partly on the traders, accusing them of making money by hoarding and creating artificial shortage of certain items as the holy month of Ramadan was approaching.

Under Control

While admitting that prices were on the rise in "some of the city outlets", the city administration claimed it was doing all it could to keep the prices firmly in control.

"Price control committee are in place and strict monitoring is underway so that those who charge overprices could be fined," said Raja Mehmood, a local councilor.

He added that all district councilors have been directed to take daily rounds of the markets to check pricing trends.

"It is nearly impossible to charge over prices at mass level but still there could be come exceptions," Mehmood said.

He asserted that the city administration is fully alert to keep the prices at reasonable levels during Ramadan.