PPP slams govt for throwing price-hike bomb on poor

ISLAMABAD: Slamming the PTI government for raising the prices of the petroleum and essential commodities, former Chairman Senate Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said the government was giving concessions to the elite by withdrawing subsidies from the working and poor class.

“The government gave concession to the construction mafia, stock exchanges, automobile sector and big business to promote crony capitalism,” he said while flying the government for increasing the petroleum prices and prices of essential commodities.

Rabbani said the government on the instructions of the international funding agencies is pushing the working classes to the wall. “Such a situation is ripe for a massive social upheaval,” he said. Increasing the petroleum prices near Eid, he said, the Federal Government has further burdened the common man.

Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said the ECC on Friday, which was not in quorum as only two members out of 14 were present, decided to increase the prices of ghee at Utility Stores by almost 53% i.e. from Rs.170 to Rs.260 per kg and the prices of wheat floor by about 19% to Rs.950 per 20 kg bag from its existing rate of Rs.800. Similarly, he said sugar prices have been raised from the existing rate of Rs.68 to Rs.85 per kg with an increase of 20%.

He said on 15th July, 2021, the government arbitrarily increased the prices of petroleum products which resulted in a snowball effect on prices of vegetables and inland freight.

Meanwhile, condemning the government on increasing the prices of essential items, PPP Vice President 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 are making billions.”

She said after the revised utility store prices, sugar prices have jumped from Rs 68/kg to Rs 85/kg with 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 while edible oil is being sold at a whopping Rs 260 and a 20-kg flour bag will now cost Rs 950.

“This government has set new records of inflation, rampant corruption. How is this relief?” she questioned. She said Utility Stories have been made inaccessible to the poor.

She said the incumbent government does not know how to run the country. “Utility Stores introduced by late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were a primary source of subsidized items but under Tabahi Sarkar these stores sell unaffordable goods while PTI mafia has made Rs 230 billion out of the sugar crisis,” she said.

“For the very first time, utility store subsidies are going to the mafia, not the poor as these stores obtained 40,000 tonnes of sugar at Rs 90 per kg. The country’s food import bill has soared by a massive 55% to $6.12 billion this year mainly due to sugar and wheat imports,” she added.

She said there was a time when we were self-sufficient but 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 for this?” she asked.