Karachi consumers face significant price discrepancies during Ramazan

KARACHI: The price-checking campaign in Karachi continues to struggle, with officials collecting Rs30 million in fines from 2,698 profiteers in the first 15 days of Ramazan. However, the disparity between official and market prices remains significant. Despite the deployment of additional officers, enforcement is limited. Many retailers, especially fruit vendors, continue to overcharge consumers, recovering fines quickly due to high demand. The city has only a small number of officials to monitor numerous markets. In response, the city is setting up price monitoring counters at large stores. However, consumer protection bodies have been criticized for inaction, and there is a call for more government officials to effectively manage price control during Ramazan.