Daily Times

Prices of essential commodities witnessed a significant increase in the last week in the provincial capital and port city, Karachi. From green coriander to sugar, meat, and cooking oil/ghee, inflation is skyrocketing, observed a survey conducted by Daily Times on Saturday.

“The way inflation is touching skies and making people’s lives sad and stricken, it seems we all have to rush to the almshouses,” said a working widow and a mother of three.

Along with essential commodities like vegetables and household items, the expenditure on the electricity bill, house rent, shop rent, children’s school fees, medicines, etc. also have increased manifold.

Chicken, which was available at Rs240-260 per kg last week, is being sold at Rs350 per kg while mutton which was being sold at Rs1,300 per kg, is available at Rs1,400-1,450 per kg.

Five liters of cooking oil, which was available at Rs1,700 last week, is being sold at Rs1,750-1,790 this week while a tea pack of half kg was being sold with an increase of Rs30-50 in the retail market this week.

Mustard oil has become so expensive that many people have replaced it with refined oil. On the other hand, the price of pulses has increased sharply. With an increase of Rs30 per kg, Masoor was available at Rs190 per kg which was being sold at Rs160 per kg in the retail market last week. In the last three-four months, the price of sugar has increased by Rs10-20 per kg, which is available Rs110-115 per kg after an increase of Rs5 per kg this week, the survey observed.

The minimum rates per kg fine variety of Sela rice have increased by Rs10 to reach Rs90 and Rs120 respectively, while the maximum prices have gone up by Rs15 and Rs20 respectively.

Meanwhile, many companies have again increased the prices of consumer goods, electronic goods, and smartphones. The prices of these items have increased thrice this year. Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and other local motorcycle producers of Chinese makes, increased the prices of their products from Rs1,500-3,500.

Apart from this, people who used to trade in old phones and accessories with small shops were seen selling vegetables due to a sharp increase in shop rents, utility bills, and a huge loss caused by doubling of taxes on imported phones.

According to sources, prices of electronic home appliances will record a sharp increase due to dollar rates and nonstop increases in the prices of oil products. Similarly, producers of television, AC, and refrigerators are also preparing to increase the prices of their products by 5 to 8 percent, sources told.