The Sindh government on Saturday decided to launch a province-wide crackdown on hoarders and profiteers.
Presiding over a high-level meeting, Sindh Chief Secretary Mumtaz Ali Shah said that the district administration will monitor the auction process in all the vegetable markets to curb the artificial inflation in the province.
He also ordered that divisional commissioners to crackdown on hoarders and inspect the godowns of edible items. Speaking on the occasion, the chief secretary directed to enforce the price list issued by the government in the markets.
He also ordered the commissioners to monitor the performance of market committees. The price of tomatoes in Karachi had reached the highest-ever mark as the provincial government failed to enforce its approved rates.
As per details, tomatoes were being sold at Rs260 per kg in the city’s wholesale market, while the same was being sold in the retail market.
Similarly, onions at the wholesale market cost Rs 80 to 90 per kg, but in the city markets, it was being sold between Rs120 and Rs150. The sudden rise in tomato prices had also increased problems for household women.
The price hike is attributed to a cessation in the supply of tomatoes from Iran. Authorities said that rates will come back to normal in 2 to 3 weeks.—APP
