Of the Price Hike
By the Editor

WITH a vow to cage the upward trend in the price index of items of daily use, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has constituted a 12-member committee to monitor price situation in the country by keeping watch on the supply and demand condition.

An official announcement said that the committee to be headed by Dr Salman Shah, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Finance, will also coordinate with the provinces and district governments for effective monitoring of the prices.

Setting up of a body to monitor price situation was long overdue in view of the unabated price hike in the country.

Of-late, there has been a regular increase in the prices of petroleum products, electricity, gas, atta, ghee, sugar and other items of daily use with no check or monitoring whatsoever. The Government attitude towards the price spiral reflected total disconcern.

Besides, education and health care have also registered unprecedented increase over the past few years manifesting a dismal state of Government’s apathy towards its primary social welfare responsibility.

The vicious fortnightly raise in the prices of petroleum products, which regulate prices of other commodities for various reasons, has become a mockery of the price stabilization process that the Government boasts of so vociferously.

Amid this scenario, existence of a body to monitor price situation in the country is essential to leash the forces of exploitation that are fleecing the common man to the hilt.

Understandably, with inflation reportedly touching the double digit, such a body will have to work very hard to keep the exploitative forces’ tendency of price spiral under control.

We hope that the committee will deliver in view of Dr Salman’s ability and foresight, despite impediments.

We, however, venture to take this opportunity to urge Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to take urgent steps to ensure that the benefits of economic improvement trickle down to the common man, who is groaning under the heels of high cost of living.

The white collar class of the society is particularly hard hit due to rising utility bills as well as mounting cost of education, healthcare and house rent. It’s pertinent that the masses should not be left to the mercy of the forces of exploitation and the Government must put its foot down to save the people from their tyranny.

The common man is least concerned with the foreign exchange reserves, revenue generation and foreign trade. What he is interested in is that he should be able to make his both ends meet in a respectable manner and in an easy and affordable dignified way.● 

 —  Mumtaz Hamid Rao
www.MumtazRao.net