Food items are expensive, shoppers say

Dubai: Gulf News readers say prices of food items are spiralling as Ramadan draws close.

Ministry of Economy's decision to freeze prices of certain commodities at the 2007 level, earlier this year, had come as welcome news to residents. But, shoppers have not noticed any reduction in the high prices of basic food items.

In fact, Nazeer Hussain, an Indian expatriate, has witnessed an increase in prices recently and claims that his shopping bill has risen by 15 per cent as compared to last Ramadan.

He said: "None of the prices have remained constant and the price of almost every commodity has risen by at least 25 fils since last Ramadan."

Dubai resident, Farhana Zaman, agrees. According to her, while the prices of certain products have been steady for a while, most of the basic commodities are getting more expensive by the day.

She said: "We are paying around twice as much as we used to in the previous months of Ramadan. Our shopping bills have definitely gone up."

Adnan Shabbir, a Pakistani expatriate residing in Sharjah, recently read about the slash in prices at Union Cooperative Society supermarkets and hopes other hypermarkets will follow suit. He said: "Shopping for groceries is becoming very expensive, and the frozen prices don't seem to be evident."

Najeeb Makhdoom, a Pakistani expatriate, is preparing himself for a rise in his shopping bills as Ramadan approaches.

He said: "If the value of more commodities were to be brought back to 2007 prices, it would be extremely helpful for families in managing their budget during Ramadan."

The only relief in sight for consumers are the promotional offers supermarkets have during Ramadan. Residents feel this trend should be encouraged.