1cr families to get basic commodities at subsidised rates from Sunday: Tipu Munshi

The government is going to start selling some basic commodities at subsidised rates across the country among 1 crore families from Sunday aiming to arrest the skyrocketing prices of consumable items in the local markets.

The first phase of sales of goods with the family cards will start from Sunday, March 20 and to continue up to March 31, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi at a press conference at Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) office in Dhaka today.

The Dhaka and Barishal City Corporations areas have not been brought under the sales event because of absent of the proper lists of beneficiary consumers.

However, the regular Open Market Sales (OMS) of basic commodities will continue both in Dhaka and Barishal City Corporation areas.

In TCB package, a consumer can buy two litres of edible oil at Tk 110 per litre, two kg sugar at Tk 55 per kg, two kg of lentil at Tk 65 per kg.

TCB will also sell dates at Tk 80 per kg during Ramadan only in Dhaka because of supply crunch.

In the second phase that will start from April 3 to continue up to April 18, a consumer can buy the same products at same rates at same quantity with the family cards, told in the press conference.

However, in the second phase the TCB will also sell two kgsof chickpeas at the rate at Tk 65 per kg.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will inaugurate the mega sales from the Rangpur area.

The lists of the consumers have been made by the local administrations in collaboration with the local public representatives administered by the deputy commissioners' offices at the district levels.

Consumers' names have been selected based on poverty data of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The commerce ministry has taken the list of 30 lakh families into cognizance those who were given stimulus from the prime minister's office during the peak hours of Covid-19 in making the list of the family card holders.

Also family cards have been distributed to another 57.10 lakh consumers across the country afresh.

Sales of basic commodities has been continuing to more than 12 lakh consumers in Dhaka City Corporation areas and more than 90,000 consumers are also buying the goods in the Barishal City Corporation areas.

Tipu, however, could not say about the amount of the subsidies that the government is giving as the TCB has been continuously buying from the markets and selling to the consumers every day.

The local administrations will announce the sales dates of the goods at the local level so that the consumers can go to the previously announced spots on the specified dates to buy the goods at the subsidies rates with showing the family cards.

"Let's see what happens from the sales of the goods in the family cards. If necessary, such programme may be extended also in future across the country," said the minister.

A section of unscrupulous traders has been making a brisk business taking the opportunity of the sudden rise in demand ahead and during the month of Ramadan.

The commerce ministry can work on 17 basic commodities and he will also work to coordinate with other ministries so that the prices of other basic commodities can be brought under control.

In the family card package, the TCB has not included the onion as the price of this widely consumed item declined in the local markets with the increase of supply.

The minister also said sometimes crisis is created as maximum 250 consumers can be served from a truck but the presence of consumers is higher than the capacity.

Moreover, many people buy the goods two or three times in guise to make a hefty profit by selling to a local shop owner. So the government planning to indelible ink so that a consumer cannot buy the subsidised goods repeatedly.

Replying the queries of journalists, he said if the prices of edible oil increase in Brazil, the main source edible oil for Bangladesh, there is little to do in the domestic markets and it is not logical to resign from the post of minister in an excuse of price hike basic commodities. Because the prices of edible oil has gone high in Brazil and all over the world.

The minister also blamed the Russia – Ukraine war and abnormal freight charge for price hike of edible oil in the international markets and with this two factors a section of local unscrupulous traders are also responsible for the price hike of the commodities in the local markets.

The minister instructed that TCB to sell the goods also on Friday so that the workers in the industry dense areas can also buy the goods at subsidised rates.

The Directorate of National Consumers' Right Protection (DNCRP) has already found anomalies in sales of edible oil by some refiners, wholesalers, dealers and retailers, said AHM Shafiquzzaman, director general of the DNCRP.

Shafiquzzaman also said his office is making a report to be sent to the ministry soon for taking actions against the wrong doers in sales of edible oil. He said his office will also work on to stop the price hike of the soap and other consumer items.

Tapan Kanti Ghosh, senior secretary to the commerce ministry and Brig Gen Md Ariful Hassan, chairman of the TCB also spoke.