Food inflation has emerged as a major source of concern for general masses with the rise in the fuel prices. Back-breaking food inflation is making the lives of millions of working class and poor people even more miserable as the current increase in petrol, diesel and CNG rates have negatively impacted the food prices.
This was stated by Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Yassar Sakhi Butt while commenting on the phenomenal rise in prices of different food commodities in Pakistan.
He was responding to the reports that prices of vegetables and fruits have increased by 30 percent following the power price hike and said that it would lead to an increase in agriculture and industrial input costs, which would further push the prices of food items, domestic utilities, goods and transport fares up.
He was of the view that it has become nearly impossible for the common man to respectfully support a family as the government has failed to provide any relief to the general masses, causing their hardships to increase manifold.
Yassar Sakhi Butt urged the government to adopt appropriate food security policies and develop a mechanism to control essential food prices to provide relief to million of poor people of Pakistan who are suffering from severe food inflation. He cited the example of Sri Lanka, where the Department of Agrarian Services directly intervened into the market to bring prices of essential food items to an affordable level.
He said that food price hikes have severely eroded purchasing power of salaried and poor people. He demanded the government to undertake immediate price control measures to keep food prices from further escalating and to provide essential food items at affordable prices.
Butt also said the government must put a stop on increase in the power tariffs and should develop and implement long-term plans to overcome the energy crisis and inflationary pressure.
