Persistent rise in prices of general commodities over the last few years have adversely affected the purchasing power of the common man.
It has become difficult to live in within budgets as prices of general items have increased by about 95 per cent, which makes the life of the general public extremely difficult, said Mahfooz Elahi, President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement.
About 40 per cent of the population did not even have access to food required for adequate nutrition, whereas high food prices have significantly affected the purchasing power of the masses. The government should adopt appropriate food security policies to provide relief to millions of poor people in the country, he emphasised.
He noted that more than half of the population had to spend 50-70 percent of its total income on subsistence food items alone. The purchasing power of common people has been decreasing by more than 20 percent mainly due to 95 per cent increase in prices of food items within four years.
He was of the view that the government must take measures to stop further increases in food prices. Otherwise production will need to be enhanced by incorporating modern technology.
Elahi said that it’s a matter of deep concern for Pakistan that Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has placed Pakistan in the list of 21 food deficient countries even though Pakistan is an agrarian country.
He said that the government has failed to provide any relief even in the holy month of Ramadan as sasta bazaars and utility stores were not providing adequate relief to the common man. He said that prices of milk, pulses, oil, ghee and vegetables have gone out of reach and emphasised the government to take appropriate measures to control food inflation and ensure food security.
Government must play its role. But leaders of business community have a much bigger responsibility. They need to reform their community. Government cannot act as a reformer. It can only check a few irritants in a reformed society. It is quite common to pin all responsibility on government and then feel free to do whatever you like. This is not the way social ills are taken care of. Just like the government cannot force everybody to pray five times a day and keep fast, similarly the government cannot on its own end black marketing. Real responsibility lies on individual traders/industrialists and their trade bodies.
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