Chicken, vegetable, fruit prices increase
Market surveys revealed a stark contrast between the government-fixed rates and actual retail prices, with sellers charging far above official price lists for poultry, vegetables, and fruits.
The rate of live chicken jumped by Rs45 per kilogramme, reaching an official range of Rs289-303 per kg. However, vendors were seen selling live poultry for as much as Rs420 per kg. Chicken meat, officially fixed at Rs439, was retailed at Rs500-580 per kg. Boneless chicken prices surged to Rs1,000-1,100 per kg in various city markets.
Vegetables also saw widespread price hikes. The official price of A-grade soft skin potatoes rose by Rs10 to Rs70-75 per kg but were sold at nearly double — Rs140-150 per kg. Similarly, A-grade onions fixed at Rs40-45 per kg were retailed at Rs80 per kg. Seasonal fruits mirrored the same trend. Apples of various grades were fixed at Rs295-440 per kg but sold at Rs350-800 per kg.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
21 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Finance committee of cabinet approves major grants
The Finance Committee of the Sindh Cabinet in its meeting on Wednesday approved major grants, deferred some funding requests for lack of details and rejected a request from the Sports and Youth Affairs Department for a grant of Rs2 million from non-development funds to organise a football championship in Malir PS-89. The committee directed the Sports and Youth Affairs Department to hold the tournament utilising allocated budget and stated that any funding shortfall at the end of the year would be reviewed separately. The meeting, held with Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani and Home and Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar in the chair, was attended by the chief secretary, finance secretary, secretaries of all concerned departments and other senior officials. The committee approved a grant of Rs115 million from non-ADP funds for the ongoing construction of the Government Degree College at Ghorabari, Thatta District, and sanctioned Rs248 million for the installation of water storage tanks along with solar-powered pumping stations at Ex-Nara Canal, Khipro, Sanghar District. A one-time grant of Rs45 million was approved to cover transportation and installation costs of agricultural machinery gifted by China to the federal government, which included Sindh's share. The ministers expressed reservations over this additional expense, directing that in future such gifts should be received directly at Karachi Port to avoid unnecessary costs. The committee also approved a one-time payment of Rs141 million to settle dues of retired employees of the Sindh Seed Corporation in compliance with a court order, with the condition that no further grants would be sought for this purpose in future. A grant of Rs300 million from non-development funds was sanctioned for the repatriation of illegal Afghans residing in Pakistan. However, a request for grant funding for the Langar Khana (free meal facility) at the shrine of Sachal Sarmast was deferred until a detailed report, including information on donations received at the shrine, is submitted. Likewise, the request from Sindh Solid Waste Management Board for Rs15 billion was also deferred until submission of complete documentation and detailed justification. The ministers directed all departmental secretaries to ensure that future cases presented before the committee are backed by complete working papers and detailed data so that the committee can prepare its recommendations for the cabinet based on full facts.
Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
Property tax surge sends buyers reeling
With the start of the new fiscal year 202526, a massive hike in commercial and residential property registry fees across Rawalpindi district has left citizens and buyers deeply troubled. Along with this increase, a building map fee has also been imposed on buyers. While advance tax on property registration has been reduced by 1.5 per cent, the gain tax has been raised by the same margin. Deputy Commissioners across the district have increased DC rates in all commercial and domestic zones by 10 per cent to 20 per cent. These changes have led to a sharp spike in registry costs. According to the revised rates and taxes, the complete registry fee for a five-marla house has soared to Rs350,000. In the commercial sector, registry costs have gone up by Rs500,000 to Rs1 million. Despite the hike in taxes, gain tax and map fee, the online challan fee payment system remains non-functional. As a result, even ten days into the new fiscal year, not a single registry or power of attorney has been processed. At Rawalpindi Cantonment and City Tehsil offices, registry work remains stalled. Registrations have been halted since June 15 and have yet to resume. According to the Property Registrar Office, the new DC rates have not yet been uploaded to the registry app. The app will only open for new registries once the updated rates are uploaded in the next three days. Stamp Vendors Union Secretary General Sheikh Mudasir said that this year has brought extreme financial pressure on property buyers. For a new registry, buyers must pay 1 per cent stamp duty, 1 per cent municipal corporation duty, 4.5 per cent gain tax, 2per cent map fee, 1per cent FBR e-tax, 0.10per cent online processing fee, and 1.5per cent cantonment board fee. This brings the total to 10.5per cent of the property's value for filers and up to 18per cent for non-filers. Property Dealers Association Vice President Hassan Shah said that the excessive increase in fees and taxes has opened doors for loopholes. Now buyers will declare residential properties as dilapidated structures to reduce costs with insider collusion, bringing down expenses by nearly 20 per cent. This will not only result in significant government revenue loss but also promote tax evasion and increase transactions through power of attorney, bypassing proper registration. Billing delay halts property trades Twenty-one days into the new fiscal year, residents of Rawalpindi and Chaklala cantonment boards are facing difficulties as new billing for property tax, water charges, and other revenues has yet to be issued. Sources said delays in issuing computerised bills under the new tariff - which includes a 150pc to 200pc increase in water and conservancy charges - have completely stalled property transactions and related services. Despite the old tariff being applicable to outstanding dues, billing of arrears has also been linked to the new system. As a result, citizens seeking to clear dues and complete sale or purchase of properties are being told to wait. Speaking to media, Rawalpindi Cantonment Board spokesperson Imran Habib said the new bills, including outstanding dues and revised charges, are being finalised. The delay, he added, was due to incorporating revised tariffs approved in the recent board meeting. He assured that billing would be issued within the next couple of days.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Nishat Power to invest Rs2.5bn in EV venture NexGen Auto
Nishat Power Limited (NPL) has announced plans to invest up to Rs2.5 billion in NexGen Auto (Private) Limited, a related company concentrated on electric vehicles (EVs). NPL disclosed the development in its notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Monday. The listed company has called for an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) in this regard, which is scheduled to be held on August 13, 2025. The proposed investment, to be approved through special resolutions by NPL shareholders, includes Rs2 billion in equity investment by way of acquisition/subscription of 200 million ordinary shares of Rs10 each of NexGen Auto (Private) Limited, and an additional Rs500 million as a one-year working capital loan. HUBCO plans to install EV charging network across Pakistan As per the document, the loan component will carry a return of 3-month KIBOR plus 100 basis points, or the company's average borrowing cost—whichever is higher—payable quarterly. NexGen Auto, incorporated in August 2024, has made significant strides toward its market debut. The company has formalised its partnership with Cherry Automobile Co. Ltd of China, for the importation, local production and nationwide distribution of its two sub-brands Omoda and Jaecoo, specialised in new energy vehicles. 'NexGen sales and marketing teams are actively engaged in pre-launch campaigns, culminating in a much-anticipated mega launch event slated for the first week of August 2025,' NPL informed. According to documents made available to the stock exchange, NexGen's project for CKD assembly has already commenced and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2026, with commercial operations set to begin within calendar year 2025. The total project cost is estimated at Rs14.7 billion, to be funded through a mix of debt and equity. NPL expects that the investment will not only yield dividend income and capital gains in the long run but also diversify its portfolio and strengthen its commitment to sustainability-focused ventures.
