THERE is a saying in the business community: “You have to spend money to make money”. Take, for example, the mafia of petrol/diesel importers who had to spend some money (underhand) to stop the sale of CNG for a week so that all the oil stock can be utilised before the closing of the year.

Similarly, take the example of automobile manufacturers who sell us cars for Rs2 million, that too after waiting six months for delivery, while a Japanese-assembled car, that has been transported from Japan to Pakistan and has taxes paid on it, only costs Rs0.8 million.

Now the local manufacturers try to stop the import of Japanese cars so that they can raise the prices.

Another prime example is the manufacturers of electrical transformers and switches who, with the help of Wapda (after paying them some money), have fixed higher rates for locally manufactured equipment to get extra profits.

An older example would be the flour-mill owners, who pay good money to stop the flow of flour from Punjab into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and also to stop the export of flour from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Afghanistan for a few months during which time they increase the prices threefold and make a huge profit.

SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER     Peshawar