24/02/2008 (Daily Times, Pakistan), Karachi - There is respite for the ghee and cooking oil consumers as the manufacturers and importers of these commodities have decided to make yet another increase in their prices, which is most likely to be implemented in the next few days.

The ghee and oil manufacturing and importing companies had recently made an upward revision in prices of their products under the pretext of price increase in the international market, and now the prices are expected to undergo a further increase.

Talking to Daily Times, a representative of a leading ghee and cooking oil manufacturing company, requesting anonymity, said that the administration of the company has already made a decision in this regard which has been communicated in advance to all wholesalers and retailers.

He claimed that other major ghee and oil manufacturing companies have also decided to increase prices of their products simultaneously, which would be implemented by the end of the current month.

Replying to a question, he attributed the rationale of unabated increase in prices of the commodity to the increase in the international markets, which, he claimed, has compelled local manufacturers and importers to pass on the high imported cost to the consumers.

However, he failed to give an explanation over why were the old two to three months stocks of these commodities, which were imported at a lower cost, also sold at higher rates.

Fareed Qureshi, General Secretary of the Karachi Retailer Grocer Group, when approached by this scribe to verify about the price increase, confirmed that the all ghee and cooking oil-manufacturing companies have indeed decided to make this move.

Citing instances in this regard, he said the price of a 4 litre tin of Rafhan cooking oil, which was recently enhanced from Rs 570 to Rs 615 for the same weight hardly 10 days ago, would be available in the retail markets at Rs 680 after the after the implementation of the expected price increase, indicating an increase of more than 100 rupees during the last 15 days.

Similarly a 5 kg ghee tin, manufactured by all leading companies including Habib Oil, Soya Supreme, Dalda Ghee and Tullo Ghee, which after the recent price increase was available in the retail markets at Rs 610 to Rs 620, would be available to consumers at Rs 680 after the after the expected price increase.