ISLAMABAD  -  The federal government has demonstrated the worst performance in maintaining prices of basic food items, as retail rates are up to 59 percent higher in its administrative territory than those in the wholesale market.

Despite considerable reduction in inflation in the country, the federal and provincial governments have failed to provide relief to the consumer, as the retail prices at national level were up to 28 percent higher than those in the wholesale market, official source told The Nation. The district administrations in the entire country have failed to check the price hike of basic food items, where the retail prices such as vegetables, dairy, lentils, rice and poultry were up to 59 percent higher than the wholesale market, during the month of September. Although the retail prices are higher in the entire country from the wholesale market, however, the federal government is the worst performer where the gap is from 24 to 59 percent, the source said.

The provincial government of Punjab is the best performer among federal government and the federating units, where the gap between the retail and wholesale market is from 21 to 25 percent in the prices of various food items. In Sindh, the gap between the retail and wholesale market is 22 to 36 percent, followed by Balochistan which was from 20 to 43 percent higher than the wholesale market.

The prices of only two items was available from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which was 26 and 27 per higher than the wholesale market, respectively, the source added. Notably, the inflation rate in the country is on continuously decline during the current fiscal year and slide to 44-month lowest level of 6.9 percent in September, 2024 as compared to 31.4 percent during the same month of 2023. However, despite sharp decline in inflation large gaps in the wholesale and retail prices of some essential commodities in the federal government, each province as well as at national level existed. It is worth mentioning that the matter was echoed during the meeting of the National Price Monitoring Committee, earlier this month. The meeting had noted with concern that there is a significant disparity between the prices of various food items in wholesale market and retail market. Similarly, it was also observed that despite the reduction in petroleum product prices, there has been no decrease in transport service rates. The meeting directed provincial governments to take immediate steps to reduce transport, wholesale, and retail prices.