PESHAWAR: Government measures aimed at curbing the price hike of sugar across Pakistan have seemingly been in vain, as prices have again peaked at Rs 210 per kg in Peshawar, the highest in the nation.
According to statistics released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the sugar price in Peshawar has increased by Rs 10 per kilogram in the last week. The residents of the city are now obliged to purchase sugar at the peak price in history.
The report disclosed that the national average sugar price has risen by Rs3.77 per kg within a week. In the four major cities, sugar price is up to Rs 200 per kg in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Multan, and Bannu, while in Karachi, it is Rs 195 per kg.
Now, the average retail price of sugar in Pakistan is Rs 188.81 per kg, which was Rs 185.04 per kg one week ago. A year back, the average price had been Rs 134.08 per kg, which means a significant rise of over 40% in the year-long period.
The alarming hike in sugar prices has turned the consumer’s worries into a market analyst’s prediction, who cautioned that the situation could make household spending really tight along with the existing high inflation.
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Govt failed to provide basic amenities to people: Mian Iftikhar
On October 21, the Awami National Party (ANP) Provincial President Mian Iftikhar Hussain has stated that both the provincial and central governments have completely failed to provide relief to the people.
The rising prices of electricity, gas, and petrol have already placed a significant burden on the poor, and now the steep increase in the prices of essential daily items is pushing them into even greater hardship. Mian Iftikhar Hussain expressed his deep concern over the escalating costs of wheat, flour, vegetables, sugar, and other necessities in the province, attributing this crisis to government incompetence and mismanagement, which have left the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in severe economic distress.
He pointed out that while there is unrest, the shortage of wheat and flour has made life unbearable for the common man. Prices for everything, from vegetables and fruits to sugar and pulses, are soaring. Mian Iftikhar Hussain explained that the disruption in the supply of wheat to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the ongoing rise in flour prices are clear indications that the government lacks a coherent economic policy or strategy. The shortage of wheat supplied to flour mills and the hoarding in the open market are forcing people to pay inflated prices for flour.
