Sindh govt launches crackdown against profiteers

KARACHI: Sindh government has launched a drive to control the prices of food items and decided to take strict action against profiteers during Ramazan, ARY News reported on Friday.

Chief Secretary Sindh Dr Muhammad Sohail Rajput presided over the price control meeting attended by all the commissioners of the province.

Rajput directed the meeting participants to penalize the profiteers with heavy fines and take the action according to the new ordinance.

According to the new ordinance, if the shopkeeper is found guilty of profiteering against government rates, the commissioner will fine him a minimum of Rs 100,000 and all the items in the shop will be sold at the government rates for the next 30 days.

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The chief secretary also directed the officers of the Department of Agriculture and Labor to work under the Deputy Commissioner (DC) during Ramadan and instructed all Divisional Commissioners to submit reports on a daily basis.

On the direction of the chief secretary, the commissioners took action against 170 shopkeepers in all districts of Karachi, sealing three shops and more than Rs 181,000 fined over profiteering and not displaying the government’s official rate list.

Commissioner Karachi issued control room numbers (02199203443, 02199205645) for the citizens to lodge complaints.