Islamabad, July 2021: Slamming the government on increasing the prices of essential items, Pakistan People’s Party Vice President and Chair Foreign Affairs Senate Standing Committee, Senator Sherry Rehman said, “Tabahi Sarkar has increased the prices of essential items (Wheat, sugar and edible oil) by a whopping 53% while the weekly inflation hovers around a massive 12.5%. Instead of providing relief before Eid, PTI government has dropped an inflation bomb on the people, while the mafias make billions”.
“After the revised utility store prices, sugar prices have jumped from Rs 68/kg to Rs 85/kg which is an increase of 25%. The price of wheat flour has gone up by 19% to Rs950 per 20kg bag from its existing rate of Rs800. Edible oil is being sold at a whopping Rs 260. A 20 kg bag of flour will now cost Rs 950. This government has set new records of extreme inflation rampant corruption. How is this relief?” she questioned.
She said, “Utility stories have been made inaccessible to the poor and vulnerable, which defeats their whole purpose. The incumbent government does not know how to run the country. Utility stores introduced by SZAB and PPP were a primary source of subsidized items but under Tabahi Sarkar the stores sell unaffordable goods. PTI mafia has made Rs 230 billion out of the sugar crisis. For the very first time, utility store subsidy is going to the mafia, not the poor. Utility stores obtained 40,000 tonnes of sugar at Rs 90 per kg”.
“Our food import bill has soared by a massive 55% to $6.12 billion this year mainly due to sugar and wheat imports. There was a time when we were self-sufficient. Now the government is importing 200,000 tonnes of sugar and 200,000 bales of cotton to meet requirements of the textile industry. Is there anyone who will take responsibility of this?” she asked.
Parliamentary leader of the Pakistan People’s Party in Senate, Senator Sherry Rehman concluded by saying, “During fiscal year 2020-21, the average rate of inflation rose to 8.9%. Making essential items unaffordable is certainly not the relief that was promised. It seems that the government is at war with its own people. First the petrol bomb and now this, Pakistan needs relief from PTIMF”.
