By Sardar Khan Niazi
People have plunged into despair. Consumer price inflation has also outstripped inflationary volatility. However, the recent increase in prices has surpassed all previous records.
There is no commodity in the market, the prices of which are not increasing rapidly. The uncontrolled and unbridled rise in commodity prices is making people’s lives miserable.
High prices of essential items in the market are irritating for people, especially the low-income class, who are spending all their income to buy minimum food items for survival. They do not have money to spend on health, treatment, education, etc.
The price of daily necessities has increased several times more than the rate at which income has increased. One reason is that there is no effective control of the concerned authorities over the market. No market monitoring, supervision, and remedial action accordingly.
The poor, retired civil servants, senior citizens, and low-income people are the worst affected by rising commodity prices. The situation is even worse for the employees who have spent their working life honestly. Because their saving pension or gratuity money during working life is the only asset.
In order to survive, they bought savings bonds with the money saved at the end of life. They have to complete their family life with the profit money of savings bonds.
In fact, the concerned authorities are completely silent about the increase in commodity prices. Syndicated traders are raising the prices of daily necessities on various pretexts and putting the common person in trouble.
Once the price of a commodity increases, it does not decrease. Even though various government organizations are working in this regard, they are not playing an effective role, so the price of goods is not coming under control.
The common consumer is burning in the fire of commodity prices. Rising commodity prices make the life of people of limited income miserable. None of the producers of commodities is getting a fair price. Only the intermediaries are profiting from this.
No matter how much the concerned departments say they are controlling the market, in reality, it seems that the intermediaries are controlling the market. What the concerned authorities are doing has made no difference so far. Seemingly, the concerned authorities have no control over commodity prices.
At present, the price of every essential commodity is increasing. Businesspersons give many excuses for the increase in the price of each commodity and the concerned authorities join them in unison. Prices of some products rise even when there is no shortage in supply.
Moreover, if you pay extra money, there is no product, which is not available in the market, that is, a group of crooked syndicates is shaking the handle from behind and common people are paying for it. They cut people’s pockets daily, but there is no one to watch, the consumers are silent and extremely helpless.
People’s income is not increasing at the rate at which commodity prices are increasing. The relationship between commodity prices and lifestyle is very close. How families are living depends on their income, needs, and commodity prices.
Due to the increase in commodity prices, the black shadow of suffering descends on public life. There is a chaotic situation in the country due to profiteers and black marketers.
No commodity is currently available at a fair price. Every product is like a fire of higher value. However, this was not the case even a decade or two ago. People used to live as best they could.
Economists consider inflation as the biggest enemy of the economy. Because inflation reduces people’s purchasing power, increases the suffering of middle and lower-income people, and makes the living standards of consumers miserable.
