The Pakistani Spectator

When salaried class get wages, they go for grocery shopping and dry items for upcoming 15 or 30 days. The Business or upper class purchase items 10 to 15 days in advance for the coming time especially when Ramadan comes. This activity puts buying pressures in the market. Producers of general kitchen items are producing using their capacities or as per market trends with a marginal deviation from capacity.

This buying pressure is not only reflected by the queues before Utility stores every morning before their opening time and rush inside stores after closure time but also in abnormal raise in consumer prices, further addition to this problem is done by hoardings.

In an article sent by Mr Imran by presenting an option to adapt <a href=“http://www.pakspectator.com/change-required-in-buying-behavior-to-push-back-inflation“> required change in buying behavior to push back inflation</a> may give better results with the option being given in this article.

Average income class consists of more than 80% of the whole Pakistani population. A huge percentage of above 80% once get salary they go for buying those items, which they may not be able to buy again in the remaining month. Making this more simple, they purchase dry and grocery items like oil/ghee, surf, soap, flour, detergent, insect repellents, cleaning agents etc. Some amount is kept aside for paying utility bills and school / colleges fees etc. The remaining amount (which is very less in figures) is kept to fulfill day to day expenses during remaining part of the month or may not have that money in some case.

This buying at the start of the month put enormous pressure on the market stocks so prices may be tagged as per wishes of producers, as during the month there are no huge purchases so the profit margins remain at required level and selling during the month may give addition profits to the producers and stocks are scarce then it will create a panic in the market and additional profiteering is witnessed.

Apart from other efforts to control it, this situation may be balanced/controlled by shifting of wages/pay day or splitting the wage/pay day. For example, there are one thousand government departments employing people countrywide. They may coordinate to adjust their pay/wages days. Like two hundred and fifty departments may pay salaries/wages (for coming month) on 20^th of every month. Another two hundred and fifty departments may pay salaries/wages (for coming month) on 25^th of every month, and another two hundred and fifty departments on 30^th of every month and remaining two hundred and fifty departments on 5^th of next month.

Or making it more simple fort-nightly salary payment system may be introduced in every organization whether government or private. This will help to ease buying pressures in the market. For this kitchen items producers may also be taken into confidence to improve their production/supply twice a month.

Their may also be some on spot sales tax reduction system introduced between 14^th to 20^th of every month, on such items which are not consumed in huge quantities during the month so that consumer may shift buying of those reduced tax items during that period of month. This shift will also help to reduce buying pressure on the market.

Item less days may also be introduced as we witness meatless days on Tuesday and Wednesday each week, their should be chicken and fish meatless day on Thursday or Saturday of every week.