FAFEN Price Monitor: Availability and Enforcement of Official Prices Worsen - Press Release issued by Free and Fair Election Network.

Islamabad -- July 08, 2020 (PPI-OT)

Following is the text of press release issued by Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN)

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Growing unavailability of official price lists of everyday commodities in most parts of the country and continual lax enforcement of available approved rates showed the indifference of the authorities to market regulations, says the 10th Weekly Price Monitor issued by the Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN).

The percentage of districts where official price lists for wheat flour were found inaccessible during FAFEN market surveys increased from 27 percent on April 30 to 59 percent on July 2. Similarly, the percentage of areas with missing official price lists for sugar and chicken also rose - from 36 percent to 43 percent, and from 30 percent to 36 percent respectively - over the past two months.

The following graph shows the percentage of regions where official price lists of the three commodities mentioned above were missing during weekly market monitoring by FAFEN.

Comparing the three commodities with the most volatile prices - wheat flour, sugar, and chicken - showed a changing price trend over the past two weeks (between June 25 and July 2).

For a 20-kilogram bag of wheat flour, the gap in the wholesale market and official prices appeared to lessen in Multan, Liaquatpur area of Rahimyar Khan, and Jhal Magsi, indicating improved enforcement by the administration in these districts. However, seven other regions, including Washuk, Panjgur, Lasbela, Battagram, Mardan, and Muzaffargarh, recorded one percent to 15 percent increase in the wholesale price of the 20-kilogram wheat flour bag. In 21 districts, the wheat flour prices remained stable.

Just like wheat, the price of sugar registered a three to six percent (Rs3 to Rs5) decrease in parts of Balochistan and KP, including Dera Bugti, Lasbela, Washuk, Lower Kohistan, and Upper Dir. But it recorded a surge of up to 13 percent (Rs10) in some Sindh districts, including Larkana, Qambar Shahdadkot, Dadu, and Badin. In Punjab, the sugar price remained mostly stable or recorded a slight increase of one percent except for an 11 percent (Rs8) increase in Rahim Yar Khan since June 25.

The chicken market price saw a notable decline at isolated places across four provinces over the past two weeks. The official prices were mostly the same, but the market prices that were much higher than the official rates fell by two percent (Rs5) in Malakand to 32 percent (Rs 90) in...