Traders in Rawalpindi have warned of a 20 to 30% price hike on essential goods starting November 18, following the District Price Control Committee’s failure to issue an updated official price list after a meeting with traders on November 5.
The price increases are expected to affect grocery items such as pulses, ghee, flour, and white gram. In the wholesale market, daal channa is currently priced at Rs450 per kg, daal maash at Rs700 per kg, ghee at Rs580 per kg, and white gram at Rs420 per kg. The cost of a flour bag has risen by Rs1,200, while a carton of ghee has seen a price jump of Rs1,600.
The Wholesale Dealers Association has stated that any increase in petroleum prices on November 15 will result in higher transportation costs, which will be reflected in the new prices.
Saleem Parvez Butt, central president of the Grocery Merchant Association, expressed frustration over the lack of a new official rate list, which he said was promised during the November 5 meeting. He warned that if the government fails to release the new prices, wholesalers would stop selling food and essential items at government rates across Punjab. Butt also criticized the government’s focus on small businesses to meet tax targets, threatening a potential strike if the situation is not addressed.
