The Tsunami of price hike- medicines, electricity and food items become expensive
PTI government simply lost control over prices, people are suffering as the result
The people
of Pakistan are experiencing a tsunami of price hike in the country. The prices
of food, medicines, utilities, and daily use products are continue to rise. The
government has simply lost the control over prices. The people are suffering as
the result of this failure.
The three
decisions of the PTI government to increase the prices of nearly 100 medicines,
food items at utility stores and electricity will increase burden on already struggling
people of Pakistan. The increase in the price of electricity will have wider
impact on the prices of products. It will increase the cost of business and
production. The PTI government came into power with the promise to fix the
economy and to reform the system.
The federal
government has approved a hike as high as 262% in the prices of nearly 100
local and imported medicines in Pakistan. Among
these are 68 local medicines and 26 imported ones.
Drugs that
became costlier included those used to treat fever, headache, heart diseases,
malaria, diabetes, sore throat, flu, abdominal and stomach pains, skin
diseases, postpartum issues, and eye, ear, tooth, mouth, and blood infections,
as well as certain antibiotics.
The matter
of fact is that this increase has made medicines so expensive that vast
majority of people cannot afford it. The government policy and decision makers
must understand that nearly 60% of Pakistani population lives below or around
the poverty line. They are not in the position to buy medicines and even food
items.
The decision
to increase the prices of some food items at utility stores will increase the
burden on already impoverished masses. Mostly poor and lower middle class
people use the subsidised products like cooking oil, sugar and pulses from
utility stores. Now there is hardly any difference left between the prices at
utility stores and markets.
There are
serious repercussions to these decisions. The burdens of households already
stretched to the very limit, will be stretched further, some may break leaving
very little for families in terms of buying food items, or sending children to
school.
There has
also been an increase in the cost of cooking oil by Rs 17 per litre, as well as
of ghee and an extra Rs5 per litre will be added to the price of milk. This is
a tremendous burden on most households throughout the country. There is no real
explanation from the federal government or any other source on quite how people
are to manage. They are barely managing at this point already, with an
exorbitant increase also in the price of life-saving drugs. Once again, it is
the people who will suffer.
The
government is not considering the negative impact of coronavirus pandemic and
economic crisis on the lives of people. There are more unemployed people in the
country due to the job losses. The poverty is on the rise. The real incomes are
falling while cost of living continues to rise.
Instead of
helping the unemployed and impoverished people in the times of need, the government
is burdening them further as the result of its economic decisions and policies.
These are not
items that can be left off the list. The solutions for these households simply
do not seem to be there at all. Everything costs more now. Sugar has
gone up from Rs 50 per kilogram to Rs 100; flour was Rs 35 per kilo two years
ago now selling at Rs 75 now. The prices of milk have gone over Rs 100 per
liter while prices of vegetables and lentils have also one up considerably.
These are just flour, lentils and rice that we are unable to
afford. Having mutton at Rs1, 100 per kg, beef at Rs 680/kg and chicken at
Rs 200/kg is simply unthinkable. It is just the common people who are being
punished for the failures of rulers. The people are being crushed. The life is
getting more and more difficult and miserable.
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