Sugar vanishes from retail market

LAHORE-The sugar has disappeared from the retail market in the aftermath of the government crackdown against the hoarders as majority of the shopkeepers are not interested to sell the commodity in the City.
The government has miserably failed to provide the essential kitchen item to the public at reasonable price and has instead created a panic among the retailers who are not ready to sell it now even at inflated rates due to fear of crackdown.
The shopkeepers said that sugar was being sold in Akbari Mandi for Rs 52 per kg and if transportation cost is included it will cost them Rs 53 per kg so how can they sell it for Rs 40 per kg as govt has announced in the newspapers.
They said they could sell it not less than for Rs 54 per kg at retail level.
Shortage of sugar was also visible at the utility stores where long queues and a rush of people, who were in search of the commodity, was seen.
Most of the utility stores were short of the stock and which had some stock were offering just two kg to one person after registering his or her national ID card number in the register. People reported that in some posh localities sugar was available at super stores but at a very high price of upto Rs 60 per kg.
But majority of the retailers have now refused to sell the merchandise as they hope that its rate will come down sharply.
They said that they get very limited stock from the wholesale market and sell it as they fear the price of the commodity will decline and in that case will have to bear the loss.
Most of the shopkeepers have refused to sell it to avoid raids and arrests. Same is the case with the wholesale market of the City where there was no business of sugar.
Haji Sadiq, President Mozang shopkeepers Association said, that the shopkeepers are terrified and the business has come to a halt as most of the shops remain closed due to the crackdown.
He that said that govt instead of arresting the wholesalers is arresting the retailers which is unjustified.
The shoppers said that like every year, the price of sugar has surged from 10 to 35 per cent compared to last month ahead of holy month of Ramazan. This hike in prices of edible items could be seen just in Sub-Continent region ,otherwise, prices of these kitchen items remained unchanged for decades even in Gulf states while in West, prices of all daily use items cut to even more than half especially on national days like Easter, they added.