Govt probe body orders ship breakers to curb price
A government-formed probe committee yesterday asked ship breakers to fix a rational price for scrap metals by today.
The probe body led by Housing and Public Works Secretary SM Rashidul Hye gave the directive at a meeting with the ship breakers and owners of steel re-rolling mills in the conference room of Chittagong Circuit House.
It asked the ship breakers' leaders to hold a meeting to re-fix the price of scrap metals before the committee sits in the capital today evening.
"Otherwise, we shall be forced to suggest a fixed price," said the housing and public works secretary adding that the present situation cannot continue.
If there is a price hike of scrap metals, it should be proportionate to the increase in prices of imported vessels for scrapping, Rashidul Hye said.
There is no valid reason for skyrocketing prices of rods since all factors including import of decommissioned vessels remain unchanged, he said.
The probe body also said scrap metals and mild steel (MS) rods should not be sold for over Tk 40,000 and Tk 52,000 a tonne respectively.
The re-rolling mill owners said MS rods would be sold for Tk 45,000 to Tk 53,000 a tonne if they could buy scrap metals for Tk 32,000 to Tk 40,000.
But, they have to buy scrap metals from the ship breakers for Tk 58,000 to Tk 59,000 a tonne, re-rolling mill owners said.
Committee members Brig Gen Hasan Nasir, and Commodore Jasim Uddin, and FBCCI Director Kamaluddin Ahmed, were present at the meeting.
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