Rawalpindi:
With the budget implementation of the coming financial year, the wholesale markets began to increase prices.
The price of a 50 kg sugar bag increased by RS300 Wednesday, and an additional RS200 increase is expected this week, increasing the retail price of sugar from RS10 to Rs190 per kg.
The price of tea leaves has reached RS2 200 per kg, while lenses and rice have seen increases from RS350 and RS400, respectively.
Basic merchants have warned that new prices for all grocery articles will be issued in the next ten days due to the newly imposed taxes.
They also reduced the sugar, rice and lentil supply by 30 to 40%, causing shortages in city stores.
The president of the Grocery Merchants Association, Salim Pervez Butt, said that the prices of essential articles such as pulses, sugar, ghee and rice increased from Rs100 to Rs200 per bag per day.
Despite payments and orders, wholesalers do not meet demand. The increase in fuel prices has also made transport more expensive.
He criticized the authorities for targeting small retailers while ignoring the large -scale price increases by wholesalers.
He questioned the early increase in prices, given that new taxes should take effect on July 1. The fears ride that milk milks, butchers and bakers will also increase the prices of milk, yogurt, meat and bread in July due to these tax measures.
