Consumers punished with more hikes in sugar, pulses rates

Hoarding, smuggling and rupee depreciation continued to bring more misery for the consumers in the shape of further increases in sugar, pulses and ghee/cooking oil prices. Wholesale sugar rates rose to Rs172 per kg from Rs164-165 two days back. Some retailers had pushed up the rates to Rs185. While some online retailers were seen charging Rs99 for 500 grams, Rs905 for five-kg and Rs375 for two-kg packets. Sugar prices had not seen any decline or stability despite the caretaker government’s directions to the relevant agencies to check the hoarding and smuggling of sugar while an export ban had already been in effect since Aug 10. “No writ of the caretaker government exists as sugar prices have gone up by Rs28 per kg since the day it took over despite the ECC directions to check smuggling and hoarding,” Karachi Wholesalers Grocers Association (KWGA) Chairman Rauf Ibrahim said.