KARACHI: Pakistanis are still awaiting the price reversion of basic bread items like roti and naan following Tuesday’s directives by the country’s Prime Minister to revoke the price hikes of these food items.
Roti and naan, traditionally cooked in gas ovens called ‘tandoors’ are a staple food in the country of 208 million people where inflation now stands at its highest in more than five years. Price hikes across the board have shocked many Pakistanis who voted for Khan and his promise to eradicate poverty, create jobs and build an Islamic welfare state.
“We are forced to buy roti for Rs. 10 and naan for Rs. 12 as compared to previous rates of Rs. 7 and Rs. 8,” Sarfraz Nawaz, a nurse, told Arab News in Islamabad while buying roti for lunch from a local tandoor.
According to tandoor owners, the increase in the cost of gas and raw materials associated with these basic food items has led to a price jump of between two and five rupees in different parts of the country.
“The gas tariff hike has increased our bill by almost double while the price of flour has been increased by Rs. 400 to Rs. 600 per 80 kg in Punjab depending on the quality of flour,” Fazal Kareem Abbasi, President of General Naanbai Association, told Arab News.
Gas prices have increased from 700 mbtu to 980 mbtu.
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, which last month agreed to a $6 billion bailout with the International Monetary Fund, has faced growing public anger at the relentless increase in prices since it came to power a year ago.
Prices of food staples like wheat, meat, pulses, onions, sugar, beans and potatoes, saw double-digit increases with overall food prices rising by 7.9%. The public outcry after the increase in roti and naan prices prompted the Prime Minister to announce during a cabinet meeting earlier this week, that the prices would be reversed.
“Taking notice of the price hike for roti and naan, which directly affects the poor segment of the society, the Economic Coordination Committee has decided, at the advice of the Prime Minister, to reverse any increase in price of gas supplied to Roti tandoors”, a statement issued by the Prime Minister House said on Thursday.
The statement added: “The price being charged earlier, shall continue, which is a heavily subsidized rate.”
The government clarified that no tax had been imposed on atta (wholemeal flour) and that there was no reason to increase roti prices at all.
According to the statement, “The provincial administrations are being directed to ensure that no tandoor is charging a higher price for roti or naan. No gas bills had been generated at higher rate in July, and any bill generated shall revert to original rate.”
But the tandoor owners said the gas tariff reversal was not enough, and that flour mills were selling at much higher rates than before.
“We had negotiated with government officials to reverse the gas tariff hike and the Prime Minister has ordered (the reversal) now,” Abbasi said, but added that the government would have to ensure the supply of flour at lower rates from flour mills which were making business unviable.
For their part, flour mill owners linked their price hikes to the lack of wheat supply at official rates.
“We are buying flour from the private suppliers which some time sell at higher than official rates of Rs 1300/40kg,” Habib ur-Rehman Leghari, Chairman of Pakistan Flour Mills Association in Punjab, told Arab News. “When they increase prices of wheat, it is passed on.”
In an attempt to keep business running as usual, smaller tandoor owners in some parts of the country refrained from increasing their prices but reduced the weight of the bread, while others waiting impatiently for the price reversal argued it was becoming impossible to deal with rising costs without passing the cost on to the buyers.
“We have not increased the prices, but the increasing cost of inputs is worrisome,” Malik Dilawar, a tandoor owner from Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi, told Arab News. “Many tandoor owners are now contemplating alternatives.” 

Caption:

Workers bake roti and naan at a tandoor in Karachi. Roti is a staple food item for common Pakistanis. August 1, 2019 (Photo AN)