The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has increased the price of sugar by Tk30 per kg, setting the new price at Tk100.
TCB announced the increase in sugar prices in a press release on Wednesday.
The increase rate means that the 10 million TCB-card holder families will now buy sugar at Tk100 per kg, up from the earlier price of Tk70 per kg.
The price was Tk60 per kg last year.
Ahead of the month of Ramadan, the TCB will start selling five goods at subsidized prices from Thursday among the cardholder families across the country.
The price of sugar in the country is high due to the increase in the value of the dollar, increased prices in the international market, and reduced supply.
Sugar is selling between Tk140-150 per kg in the open market.
The subsidy-priced sale of TCB products (including rice, edible oil, and lentils) among 10 million beneficiary cardholder families is ongoing. The second phase of product sales will begin nationwide in light of Ramadan on Thursday.
Due to a lack of supply, TCB did not sell sugar in August last year. However, sugar sales were halted for the past 2-3 months.
Regarding the increase in sugar prices, TCB's spokesperson Humayun Kabir said: "The market price of sugar is currently high. Therefore, TCB's sugar price has been adjusted accordingly."
TCB has announced that each cardholding family will be sold two liters of soybean oil, two kg of lentils, one kg of sugar, one kg of dates, and five kg of rice.
The price per liter of oil is Tk100. Additionally, cardholding buyers can purchase lentils at Tk60 per kg, sugar at Tk100 per kg, dates at Tk150 per kg, and rice at Tk30 per kg.
Buyers can purchase these items from the permanent establishments or shops of dealers. Dealers will sell the products according to the scheduled dates and times planned.
