The Holy month of Ramadan commences today, it is the time of the year when people try to please Allah and are rewarded with HIS limitless mercies. However the arrival of the Holy month also brings many other things, which unfortunately are a burden on many. As soon as the month starts there is a sharp rise in items of daily use and particularly food items, from fruits and vegetables to pulses and lentils and as the month progresses and Eid approaches the Eid for traders also begins with shoppers coming to markets in large numbers and are forced to buy clothes and other wardrobe items on exuberant prices.
The increase in price of food items puts real strain on the lower income classes who find it hard to make both ends meet even I normal circumstances. The sad reality is that the artificial inflation in the month of Ramadan affects the already struggling classes the most. The prices of dietary items have been rising steadily over the last few years, it is estimated that now nearly two-thirds of the population spends between 50 to 70 percent of their income on food items alone.
The Government may have more pressing matters to deal with but the reality is that unless the Government can ensure that the entire population has sufficient quantity of food available on affordable rates all other efforts won’t bear fruit. The Government must prioritize regulating food prices, ensuring strict check and balance and also expand subsidies on various items. The Government should also ensure that it implements a load shedding schedule as irregular power breakdowns in the extreme heat are unbearable for those fasting,
The Government must ensure that inflation is kept under check during the Holy month.