Karachi:The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) invited the attention of prime minister (PM) Imran Khan to the high inflation and the incorrect figures given by institutions responsible for the statistics.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the reported figure of 8.90% is derived by officers sitting in offices and not collecting prices figures from the market. The actual prevailing prices are different. Besides the prices check list are never followed. They are simply hung on the walls and improperly displayed.
Thaver said the kitchen items index is itself more than double digit. Despite the fact that rupee is gaining strength the importers have not reduced their prices nor have the factories who have benefited due to lowered cost of the raw materials and resultantly the landed cost.
He lamented the bad governance and said because of poor management and planning instead of exporting wheat and sugar, we are importing both. The common man is unable to eat one square meal a day. The prices of cooking oil, pulses, rice, wheat, flour, spices, fruits and vegetables have become unaffordable. He urged the PM to check inflation urgently through an effective price check system and its implementation.
Haji Muhammad Saeed chairman SME Farmers Association (SMEFA) said the farmers must not be blamed for the inflation as they are facing high cost of production due to increase in prices of farm inputs. Secondly he said the farmers are deprived of benefits as the profiteers gulp the profits, actually the farmer hardly gets his cost.
Besides the farmers are not allowed to grow crops of their choice but have to follow the decisions of the departments. The support prices fixed by government are on lower side. The hoarders benefit in such situations.
Haji Saeed urged better facilities for farm sector being the real backbone of the economy and primary source of raw material for many industries. He requested for farm subsidies for diesel, fertilizers, seeds and insecticides.