Karachi traders dealing in groceries have decided to shut down wholesale markets on Tuesday (today) to protest against the harassment by the official price regulator.
The traders said that Commissioner Karachi has arbitrarily been issuing price lists with reduced rates on various locally produced and imported items whose wholesale rates have not come down.
Interestingly the rates of such items had been fixed after reaching a firm agreement along with signatures of stakeholders like Controller of General Prices, Consumers’ Association, Bureau of Supply and Prices etc.
However, the mutually agreed rate is not published in the fortnightly price list being issued by the Commissioner Karachi, hence forcing traders to sell the product at officially fixed rate.
“How can we sell a product at Rs20 per kg less than the rate which was fixed after reaching after an understanding prior to issuing the fortnightly price list,” Chairman Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA), Anis Majeed said.
Many traders pulled down their shutters by 4pm on Monday to protest against the attitude of
Commissioner Karachi’s price control team.
