The government has taken a series of measures, including building of stocks of gram, edible oil and sugar under TCB, to keep prices of various essential items stable in the month of upcoming holy Ramadan.
“The commerce ministry has already held meetings with traders and importers of edible oil, sugar, gram and pulses to keep prices and supply of these items stable during the month of Ramadan,” Commerce Minister GM Quader told parliament on Sunday, replying to a question of treasury bench member Sukumar Ranjan Ghosh.
Golam Mohammad Quader said Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has taken steps to sell oil, sugar, pulses and gram through its 2,984 dealers in three phases to keep prices stable during Ramadan.
Besides, the TCB will sell oil, sugar, pulses and gram through 169 mobile trucks during the first 20 days of the month of Ramadan. Of these trucks, 25 will be in Dhaka, 10 in Chittagong, five each in other divisional cities and two each in districts, he added.
He said the ministry has taken steps to determine mill gate and maximum retail prices of oil, sugar, pulses and gram after examining the prices at international market, impact on the local market and production, import, supply and movement of these items.
The ministry is also holding joint and separate meetings with different stakeholders, such as trade bodies, FBCCI, wholesale and retail market associations.
If necessary, the government will intervene to keep prices of imported essential items under control, he added.
Quader also said the ministry is holding formal and informal meetings with intelligence agencies so that no big business houses can increase prices of essential items abnormally.
At present, the commerce ministry is monitoring market in Dhaka Metropolitan area through 14 teams and the ministry has planned to increase the number of this team to monitor wholesale and retail markets in the Dhaka city. Besides, mobile courts will carry out their operations, he added.
National Consumer Rights Protection Department is monitoring markets in Dhaka Metropolitan areas through three teams.
Besides, a number of items, including onion, gram, pulses, garlic, dried chili, turmeric, cardamom, ginger have been declared as essential items.