21/02/2008 (The News - International, Pakistan) - Rising prices of cooking oil and ghee poses one of the biggest challenges to whoever forms government following the 2008 general elections.

The prices of cooking oil and ghee Wednesday increased by Rs 10 to Rs 15 per kg owing to high demand and surging trend in international palm oil rates. A large number of people were seen at utility stores to purchase ghee at subsidised prices.

No one in the present government paid any heed to the outcry over rising cooking oil and ghee prices. An increase of over 25 per cent in oil and ghee prices hit consumers hard as their monthly budgets were disturbed. What is more worrying is that oil and ghee prices may increase more in future.

Apparently, the new government may find it difficult to provide relief to the common man by controlling oil and ghee prices. The government, however, may control prices by reducing levies on ghee production but only if ghee manufacturers choose to cooperate with the government and pass the benefit to common man.

Wholesalers in Akbri Mandi believe that ghee manufacturers increase prices on the pretext of rising prices of palm oil in the international market. Oil and ghee producers have increased prices by 20-25 per cent in the last one month alone.

On Wednesday, the price of A-category 16-kg ghee tin price in the wholesale market reached Rs 1,880, B-category 16 kilogram ghee tin reached Rs 1,800 and C-category 16 kilogram ghee Rs 1,775.

In various parts of the city, retailers charged Rs 100 to Rs 108 per kg for unpacked ghee, while poly bag ghee of different brands sold between Rs 130 to Rs 140 per kg.

Meanwhile, sugar prices stabilised as sugarcane crushing season is on its peak. The ex-factory 100-kg sugar sack price is Rs 2,420, while its wholesale rate settled at Rs 2,430 from Rs 2,440 per bag. Retailers, however, were charging old rates of Rs 25 to Rs 27 per kg for sugar in various parts of the city.

Flour crisis, which played a vital role in the defeat of Pakistan Muslim League-Q, has settled now and availability of flour in the city is no more an issue.

However, overcharging by millers, stockists and retailers is still a matter that needs to be resolved. In various parts of the city, the price of 20-kilogram flour bag of different brands ranged between Rs 295 to Rs 310, while the 10-kilogram flour bags price was Rs 175 to Rs 185 per bag.

The price of good-quality basmati rice (new) ranged between Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg and price of good-quality basmati rice (old) ranged from Rs 65 to Rs 75 per kg of different brands. Similarly, prices of low-quality rice ranged from Rs 45 to Rs 55 per kg, while broken rice was available between Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kg.

Price of eggs settled at Rs 52 per dozen but shopkeepers have been selling eggs between Rs 52 to Rs 54 per dozen.

The fixed price of chicken meat was Rs 107 per kg but it sold at Rs 107 to Rs 110 per kg.

Various varieties of gram pulse sold between Rs 36 to 40 per kg while masoor pulse was available at Rs 60 to 65 per kg. Lentil pulse was available at Rs 75 to Rs 78 per kg.

Similarly, overcharging on fruits and vegetables continued in the city. The market committee Lahore Wednesday fixed the retail rates of onions at Rs 7 to Rs 8 per kg but vendors charged Rs 10 to Rs 12 per kg.

The fixed price of tomato ranged between Rs 28 to Rs 32 per kg but it was sold at Rs 30 to Rs 36 per kg.

Potato sold at Rs 10 to Rs 14 per kg against the fixed rates of Rs 7 to Rs 10 per kg, while the rates of garlic (desi) was Rs 34 to Rs 39 per kg. Garlic (China) sold at Rs 26 to 29 per kg and ginger at Rs 74 to Rs 79 per kg.

The retail price of spinach hovered between Rs 16 to Rs 20 per kg and the market committee had fixed the rates at Rs 12 to Rs 14. Cucumbers sold between Rs 36 to Rs 40 per kg.

The price fixed by the market committee for apples (kala kolo) ranged from Rs 64 to Rs 80 per kg but they sold at Rs 70 to Rs 90 per kg.

The price of good-quality guavas ranged from Rs 29 to Rs 40 per kg and it sold between Rs 36 to Rs 50 per kg.

The official price of different varieties of pomegranates was fixed at Rs 74 to Rs 100 per kilogram, while it was available for Rs 85 to Rs 120 per kg.

The price of good-quality bananas was fixed at Rs 50 per dozen, while it sold at Rs 60 to Rs 70 per dozen.