Although the government has fixed the LPG price at Rs308 per kg, the price in the open market is much higher, resulting in concerns among the citizens.
Residents say LPG is available in different places at Rs480 to Rs500 per kg, with the price shooting up by Rs10 to Rs20 per kg each day.
There has been a dramatic increase in LPG prices as well as uncontrolled overcharging by vendors, which has burdened households financially, consumers say. The families who use LPG for cooking and other purposes are also facing difficulties due to rising costs.
This further jump in the price of LPG has also impacted rickshaw drivers, a large number of whom use LPG as fuel. Increased fuel prices are impacting drivers’ livelihoods, with drivers reporting that they are losing income due to higher fuel costs.
Citizens have called upon the Government and relevant authorities to strictly enforce the official pricing mechanism and act against hoarding and profiteering. They have demanded that sound measures be taken to put in place fair pricing and relief for the consumers.
Pakistan’s weekly inflation rises as vegetable and chicken prices surge
Pakistan’s short-term inflation moved higher during the week ending June 18, driven mainly by a sharp increase in the prices of vegetables and poultry, according to the latest data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS).
The Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI), which measures weekly changes in the prices of essential goods, increased by 0.46 per cent compared to the previous week.
Among the biggest contributors to the rise were tomatoes, whose prices surged 16.65 per cent in just one week. Potatoes became 6.82 per cent more expensive, while chicken prices climbed 5.60 per cent. Consumers also faced higher costs for washing soap, gur, mutton, LPG, eggs, fresh milk and curd.
Despite the overall increase, some household items became cheaper during the week. Onion prices fell 2.98 per cent, followed by garlic at 2.51 per cent and bananas at 1.28 per cent. Fuel prices also provided some relief, with petrol declining 1.06 per cent and diesel dropping 0.51 per cent. Prices of wheat flour and several pulses also recorded modest decreases.
PBS data showed that out of 51 essential items monitored during the week, prices of 25 items increased, 11 declined, and 15 remained unchanged.
Also read: Gold rates rise again across Pakistan
