Back braking food inflation is making the lives of millions of working class and poor people even more miserable as current increase in the petrol, diesel and CNG rates have negatively impacted the food prices, this was stated by Yassar Sakhi Butt, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry while commenting on phenomenal rise in prices of different food commodities in Pakistan.

 

He was responding to the reports that prices of vegetables and fruits have increased by 30 percent following the power price hike and said that it would lead to agriculture and industrial inputs costs up, which would further push the prices of food items, domestic utilities, goods and transport fare up. 

 

ICCI President was of the view that for the common man it has become nearly impossible to respectfully support a family as Government has failed to provide any relief to the general masses and their hardships have increased manifold.

 

Yassar Sakhi Butt urged the Government to adopt appropriate food security policies and develop a mechanism to control essential food prices to provide relief to million of poor people of Pakistan from severe food inflation. He cited the example of Sri Lanka, where Department of Agrarian Services directly intervened into the market to bring prices of essential food items at affordable level.

 

He said that food price hikes have severely eroded purchasing power of salaried and poor people. He demanded the Government to undertake immediate price control measures to keep food prices for further escalating and to provide essential food items at affordable prices. 

 

ICCI President said the Government must put a stop on increase in the power tariffs and should develop and implement long-term plans to overcome the energy crisis and inflationary pressure.