Consumers in different areas of the city of Karachi are faced with huge price differentials between official and retail prices being charged for vegetables and assorted essential items. If the daily wholesale and retail rates of vegetables issued by the Karachi commissioner on his website are taken as a yardstick, one will find a huge disparity in rates of city’s Wholesale Vegetable Market on Superhighway and the rates prevailing in retail markets in various city areas.
Not a single vegetable retailer in the city keeps the official price list at his shop, which means the official list is on display only at the commissioner’s website.
Some sources claim that the number of government officers appointed to check prices is very low which encourages traders to sometimes fleece consumers without any fear that the iron hand of government will fall. It is also hard for consumers to sort out good quality items for low prices as retailers say that two to three types of vegetables’ qualities exist in markets with varying prices.
Source: dawn.com
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