Mansoor Pirzada
GHOTKI: The black marketing of fresh currency is being encouraged by several bank officials across the district by selling new currency notes to brokers and rich businessmen. The trade of new currency notes in the district is continuing unabated.
Reports said, The State Bank of Pakistan has officially ordered replacement of old and soiled currency notes and provided new notes to the customers. But, bank authorities paid no heed to the SBP orders and refused to their customers saying that new notes has ran out of stock but actually bank officials are engaged in selling.
Mostly the new currency notes were sold to the decorated garland makers, which they use to make decorative garland for the sale while simultaneously garland makers sale new currency buy obtaining 20 percent of the face value of the notes. Garland makers purchase new notes in bulk around Eid-ul-Fitar as ‘marriage season’ starts very soon after Eid.
It was also witnessed that ATM machines remained closed by all banks, showing the reason of security measures and threat of sabotage.
The trade of new currency has been on rise while Monday is last working day for the bankers earn maximum profit by selling new currency. A banker in a nearest branch, on the promise of anonymity, told that the SBP had supplied a large number of new currency notes but bank officials were trying to hide these so that they could sell the notes to businessmen.
EID SHOPPING AT PEAK IN SUKKUR REGION
Mansoor Pirzada
GHOTKI: As Eid-ul-Fitar is likely to be celebrated on Tuesday, depending on moon sighting for the month of Shawwal. Eid shopping spree is witnessed on peak in Ghotki, Daharki, Mirpur Mathelo, Ubauro, Guddu, Kashmore, Pano Aqil and Sukkur. Women and children thronging into different shopping markets to prepare themselves for celebrating Eid-ul-Fitar with religious zeal and fervour.
Large number of women and young girl flocked to different shops to purchase their favorite artificial jewelry, bangles and henna (Mehndi) paste, which are traditionally used to beautify their hands, while children were busy in purchasing stylish clothes, shoes, spectacles, and watches. Men were mostly seen chasing their family by carrying heavy shopping bags.
The Garment shops were crowded at second number, garment shops attracted large number of people for buying ready-made garments. Traditional garments like elegant Kurta with traditional Sindhi cap were to be the first choice of men.
Vikesh Kumar, the owner of a wholesale general store told, people are trying to purchase best items blindly without bargaining. Shopkeepers have displayed beautiful products to grab the customer, and this worked.
A salesman, Jahangir complained that load shedding has ruined their business; people leave the selected items in-between as the electricity shuts off, majority of shopkeepers use generator and UPS but who cannot afford bears the loss of sales.
On other side lower middle class is not able purchase more due to inflation rate. Shazia a customer at garment shop says “I had a big list to buy for my Eid shopping but unfortunately I am unable to buy hardly 50 percent of it in my budget as the prices of my needs are talking with the sky.”
Another customer Alamgeer and his spouse said that they have left buying for their own, now they buy for children due to inflation.
Stalls selling Eid cards have been declined this year as the trend of sending Eid greetings cards to relatives and friends residing in other cities of the country and abroad were ending owing to cheaper calling and SMS prices of Mobile packages and availability of Internet facilities.
Besides, illegal heavy encroachments on roads of major shopping centres by vendors, selling variety of merchandise, including ready-made garments, shoes, spectacles, bangles and decorative items, have become a source of inconvenience for shoppers in particular and pedestrians in general.