Government relief package fails‚ food prices skyrocket

KATHMANDU, NOV 16: 

Skyrocketing food prices have hit consumers hard.

The urban poor and working class people have been suffering most from the price hike of essential foods. Price of consumer rice and pulses have shot up by 9.91 per cent in the last two months while vegetables prices have gone up by 29.71.

“Foods prices are increasing steadily after Dashain,” said Ramchandra Simkhada secretary of consumer rights group – Forum for Protection of Consumer Rights Nepal. “Inactiveness of monitoring mechanism has fuelled price hike,” he blamed the government, adding that price hike of storable goods is artificial.

Hoarding and cartelling forces are active in market and monitoring agencies are silent at the time, he said, adding that it has hit hard the urban poor and working class people.

“Prices of food grains and vegetables have doubled in last one year. It has created problem to manage kitchen,” said a housewife from Buddhanagar in Kathmandu metropolis, Sarita Gyanwali. 

Of her total monthly income, she spends more than 60 per cent on food and house rent. “We have not been able to save till date,” she said.

According to Department of Commerce, rice (Jira Masino) price has jumped to Rs 70 kg from Rs 60 kg in last two months. Jira Masino is widely consumed by urban populace. Likewise, prices of pulses (Rahar and Mas) have also increased by 5.54 per cent during the period.

Market monitoring officials admitted the price hike but rejected consumer rights groups blame on them. “Consumer goods price are increasing not because of ineffective monitoring mechanism but due to season,” said director general of the department Anil Kumar Thakur. “We don’t have noticed hoarding and cartelling at present,” he said, promising to take action against them, if found. “The department is active round the year,” he added.

Vegetables prices have increased the most in last two months. Storable vegetables like onion and potato prices increased by 40.54 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. 

Currently, it cost Rs 40 and Rs 37 per kg onion and potato. Prices of perishable vegetables like tomato and cauliflower have hiked by 53.33 per cent and 10 per cent between Bhadra and Kartik.

But sugar price has marginally increased from Rs 64 kg to Rs 66 kg.

Source: THT