KARACHI: While the prices of chicken meat and mutton, officially notified last week, have yet to be enforced in parts of the metropolis, the city administration on Friday decided to announce the new prices of certain essential commodities, including naan, chapatti, flour, rice and bakery items, next week to provide relief to people during upcoming Ramazan.

Official sources told Dawn that a meeting, chaired by Commissioner Muhammed Iqbal Memon and attended by the additional commissioner-II, deputy commissioners and officials of Bureau of Prices and Supply (BPS), deliberated upon the fixation of prices of essential items and decided to notify the new prices on Monday.

They said that the deputy commissioners of the seven districts of the city and BPS officials gave their respective recommendations for fixing the prices of essential commodities.

The sources said that after lengthy deliberations on the recommendation by DCs and BPS officials, the meeting decided to announce the new prices next week after consultation with the stakeholders and association of retailers, wholesalers and bakers.

The commissioner told the meeting that the aim of the city’s administration was to provide relief to the citizens, especially during the holy month of Ramazan. He directed the DCs to keep the assistant commissioners active in enforcing the prices of essential commodities.

Meanwhile, reports suggested that chicken meat and mutton were not being sold by the retailers on officially notified prices in almost every part of the city.

On last Friday, March 18, the city administration had notified the chicken meat price at Rs356 per kg and mutton at Rs1,220 per kg after a week-long deliberations and consultations with the stakeholders.

The prices were fixed with the consultation of all stakeholders including Pakistan Poultry Association, Poultry Wholesaler Association, Chicken Retailers Association, Consumers Protection Association, Consumers Eye Pakistan, Meat Merchant Association and Al-Quresh Association.

The rate of live bird at farmer gate had been fixed at Rs220 per kg, Rs228 per kg for wholesalers and Rs235 per kg for retailers.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2022