Whatever the crisis, ultimate loser is always the public

On February 26, when Pakistan’s first coronavirus case was reported in Karachi, 28-year-old Abbas Zaidi, who works at a multinational finance firm, rushed out to find surgical masks. Every pharmacy turned him away. Friends told him to check the Bolton Market, which is perhaps the largest wholesale market in the city.

“The masks weren’t even there, or at least no one wanted to sell any to me,” chuckled Zaidi. After that, a friend who works at a hospital arranged some masks for him on the condition that he’ll bring them more. It’s been three weeks since. “There are still no masks in the market, because I check them regularly.”

As the number of the COVID-19 pandemic’s victims continued to rise, the Sindh government issued the order of imposing a lockdown on March 22. A wave of panic followed the announcement.

Zaidi learnt that vitamin C can boost immunity, which is a major deterrence against the coronavirus. Once again, he checked all the medical stores he could go to, but he didn’t find any supplement or generic drugs.

“Then I decided to buy kinnow because they’re enriched with vitamin C,” he said, shedding light on the irony that this fruit used to cost between Rs120 and Rs150 a dozen, but on that particular day, it was selling for Rs240.

On lockdown day six

Preparing the bill for some grocery items, Zafar Bhai, the owner of a store in Gulistan-e-Jauhar, chatted with his customer, who was wearing a surgical mask, that there can be an acute shortage of essential items in the coming days because the supply from the main markets has been stopped since the beginning of the lockdown.

“We’re selling whatever we have in stock, and when this stock runs out, we’ll close the shop,” he said. Counting the change in his hand, the customer asked out of curiosity what will the people do then. “Stay hungry?”

Zafar replied that people have already switched to a vegetarian diet, even those who previously didn’t even touch vegetables. One of Zafar’s sons, who had accompanied him to the store that day, said: “In the US alone, over 100,000 people have been infected with this coronavirus.” The customer raised his eyebrows, and hoped things will soon settle down, before the situation worsens.

Everything’s pricey

Since the lockdown, or maybe even before that, the prices of essential grocery items, antiseptics, disinfectants, medicines and protective equipment have either gone up or the products have vanished from the markets.

For example, a 10kg wheat flour bag’s price has shot up from Rs430 to Rs600. A 5kg oil or ghee pack costs between Rs1,100 and Rs1,200 now, compared to the previous price of Rs1,050. The price of sugar floats between Rs80 and Rs90 a kilogramme, at least Rs5 higher than before.

A dozen eggs used to cost Rs100, but now they’re selling for Rs140. A popular disinfectant containing the antiseptic chloroxylenol isn’t widely available in the market. If available somewhere, its 100ml bottle sells for Rs200, even though the price on the label reads Rs190.

Rare safety items

Similar is the case with medicines and protective equipment. Drugs like folic acid, vitamin supplements and chloroquine are short in the market. And so are masks, especially surgical ones and N95 respirators, gloves and hand sanitisers.

Surgical masks used to sell between Rs5 and Rs10, and N95 respirators between Rs200 and Rs400. Now, in the black market, surgical masks cost Rs50 a piece and N95 copies for Rs1,500.

The price of a box of 50 latex gloves has spiked from Rs300 to Rs800. Isopropyl alcohol and Carbopol, which are the two essential items in a hand sanitiser, are selling for Rs3,000 a litre, compared to their previous price ranging between Rs250 and Rs300.

My product, my price

Atif Hanif Blue, president of the Wholesale Chemists Council of Pakistan, corroborated the above-mentioned facts, saying that this is happening because many of these products are imported into the country and the closure of borders have changed the market’s dimensions.

“Those who have these products are selling them on their own prices,” he said, adding that retailers aren’t to be blamed much for this shortage and hike.

Referring to chloroquine, which started being hoarded soon after US President Donald Trump’s statement about its use in treating COVID-19, Blue said that many companies recalled their medicines from the market after a World Health Organisation report declared it ineffective, but some stockists still keep it, hoping for a different situation.

Prevent hoarding

Blue warned that paracetamol and azithromycin can also go disappear from the market like vitamin supplements and chloroquine. “Their number has not yet come but it can happen. God forbid!” he said, explaining that besides hoarding, supplying medicines to the markets is also a major challenge right now.

He said that due to the restrictions in place, supply vehicles cannot ply on the roads, and if they do, they are at the mercy of the law enforcers.

Meanwhile, according to a manufacturer of medicines, paracetamol and azithromycin are produced by over two dozen companies, and their production has not stopped to date.

Supply line disrupted

“Karachi and Faisalabad are the major producers of medicines. The embargoes have stopped the supply between the two cities, and many of the trucks loaded with the drugs are stranded on highways,” said Blue.

He added that the chemists also face problems in the city at the snap-checking points. “We have issued cards of our union’s association as well as authority letters to many, but there are still a whole lot of them that don’t have them yet. The government needs to sit down with us to solve this issue.”

‘No food shortage’

Anis Majeed, patron-in-chief of the Karachi Wholesale Grocers Association, seconded Blue’s contention over the stoppage of supply vehicles. Majeed said: “Fifty to 60 trucks loaded with essential items like rice are sitting idly at the border of Karachi, waiting for the authorities to let them into the city.”

He rejected the impression that there’s a shortage of grocery items in the city. “Our warehouses and pick-up points are filled to the brim, and we have enough stock to feed the whole city.”

Talking specifically about rice, he said the country produces around seven million tonnes of it and half of that is exported, while the rest is enough that “if the whole country were to consume it, there will still be some left”.

Use head, not baton

Majeed said that although the Jodia Bazaar, the largest wholesale market of the city, is open, the supply from the market is not fully possible due to mismanagement by the government and other authorities.

“The police and Rangers baton-charge people for flocking to the markets, rather than disciplining them in a better way,” he said, adding that the government needs to sit down with the traders to decide a mechanism to ensure the supply of groceries to retailers in the city.

“Their lockdown seems to be without a clear policy, due to which issues such as shortage of products and their price-hike are being faced by the public.”

‘Stop black-market mafia’

Ateeq Mir of the Karachi Tajir Ittehad lauded Prime Minister Imran Khan’s announcement of letting goods supply vehicles ply on the highways, and hoped that it will solve the current problem to a great extent.

Meanwhile, confirming the activities of the black-market mafia, he asked the government to take strict action against them. “It’s the government’s responsibility to stop them. We’re content that our warehouses are full with enough goods to feed the city, but their transportation is a big challenge.”

He added: “On the one hand the government asks us to open our stores, but on the other, we’re tortured with batons. The police and paramilitary high-ups should also check if their officials are becoming a source of discouragement for suppliers.”

‘Philanthropists, be patient’

Mir and Majeed agreed that the markets are also under pressure due to the demand of goods that has increased manifold because of the people who are excessively buying things and also because of those who are buying in bulk for philanthropic work.

Both men were of the view that the public needs to adopt a humble attitude towards buying, even if it’s for distribution, and let the markets stabilise with proper measures from the government. Majeed added that the government should explain if it wants the grocers to stay open or shut their stores, because to keep them open, their supply chain should also be open and free.