Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday claimed that the government's timely action to control commodity prices has made it possible to keep them stable and supply normal.
"Efforts are underway to ensure that any unstable situation is not created in the market in future," the commerce minister said in parliament while responding to a tabled query of Gono Forum MP Mukabbir Khan.
He said the Ministry of Commerce and the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection are conducting regular monitoring to prevent instability in the market.
The minister said all possible measures, including removal of import barriers, reduction of customs duty, normalization of gas and electricity supply, ensuring speedy clearance at ports, and the supervision of import of goods in line with LCs opened have been taken to keep the supply of goods uninterrupted.
The National Board of Revenue has been requested to further rationalize the duty rates imposed on sugar and edible oil, the minister added.
The commerce minister said the Ministry of Home Affairs has been informed so that there is no obstruction on roads during the transportation of daily necessities.
He said the Bangladesh Competition Commission has been requested to investigate whether there are irregularities or monopolies in the poultry market.
The minister also said the local market prices of edible oil and sugar are adjusted from time to time in line with the international market price.
In response to a question from ruling Awami League MP Anwer Hossain Khan, the commerce minister said due to an increase in transport costs, the rise in the rate of the dollar and the Russia-Ukraine war, prices of imported daily necessities have increased.
“The effects are being observed in the prices of daily essentials, including spices,” he said.
In response to a question from Awami League MP Benjir Ahmed, the minister said in the 2022-23 fiscal year, the total trade deficit with regional countries, including India, China and Pakistan, is $23.77 billion.
Among the Saarc countries, there is a maximum trade deficit of $7.16 billion with India, $466.33 million with Pakistan, $14.29 million with Bhutan and $1.49 million with Afghanistan.
On the other hand, there is a trade surplus with Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Bangladesh's trade deficit with China is $15.48 billion.
In response to a question from Awami League MP Ali Azam, Expatriates’ Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad said almost 1.13 million expatriate workers got employment abroad in the 2022-23 fiscal year due to the government’s effective measures.
In response to a query from Awami League MP Haji Selim, the minister said there are agreements/memorandums of understanding with 18 countries and Hong Kong for the export of manpower.
The 18 countries are Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Libya, Maldives, South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Singapore, Mauritius, Cambodia, Greece and Japan.
There are plans to sign agreements/memorandums with other European countries, including Malta, Albania and Romania in the future, he said.