Governor for raise in salaries of public, private sector employees by 35 per cent

By Our Correspondent
March 26, 2023

Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori has urged both the public and private sector institutions to increase the salaries of their employees by a minimum of 35 per cent keeping in view the record hike in the prices of essential products these days.

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Speaking at a press conference at the Governor House on Saturday, the governor said he would write a letter to the Sindh chief minister to convey him his recommendation for an increase in the salaries of both the public and private sector employees.

He conceded that the country had been facing unprecedented inflation and stern action should be taken against the traders involved in profiteering.

He asked the media institutions to also increase the salaries of their staffers keeping in view their economic hardships.

Tessori told the media that he had signed an ordinance with the aim to normalise the rates of essential products during the Holy month of Ramazan.

He, however, said that after visiting the Empress Market the other day, he had realised that the mere promulgation of the ordinance would not be sufficient to deal with the issue of unprecedented hike in the prices of essential products.

He said the people of Karachi had to face atrocious conditions due to unbearable increase in the prices of essential products. He mentioned that while visiting the Empress Market, he met a buyer who informed him that he had purchased potatoes at the rate of Rs70 per kilogramme (kg) instead of the official rate of Rs35 per kg.

He said that when he inquired the retailer about the price, the latter responded that he was helpless as he had purchased these items at an inflated rate from the wholesalers.

“While I met another person at the market whose shopping bag contained merely an apple, two bananas, and some other items, and inquired him about his brief shopping, tears emerged in his eyes,” the governor said.

Tessori lamented that the meat price had been increased up to Rs2,500 per kg, and small bananas were being sold at Rs300 a dozen whereas, in the official rate list, their price was Rs150 per dozen.

Similarly, the prices of vegetables were double compared to their official rates, he conceded.

He said the official rate list of the essential products was of no use if the officials concerned did not have the capacity to implement it.

He said the commissioners, deputy commissioners and other officials should immediately leave their offices to visit markets to ensure the implementation of the official rate list.

He said the responsible officials should leave at once the comfort of their homes and visit markets to ensure that people were not further exploited.

The governor said that the people of the city should not face such oppression anymore. “If the officials are unable to discharge their duties, there is no point in making announcements about action against profiteering and setting up discount markets in Ramazan,” he said.

He lamented that special makeshift discount markets established during Ramazan also failed to fulfil their basic objective of ensuring availability of the essential items at discounted rates.

The governor appealed to the media to highlight the issue of profiteering during the holy month.

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