An inter-ministerial meeting yesterday decided to request Communications Ministry to allow toll-free movement of essential goods-laden vehicles through Jamuna Bridge as a strategy to reduce the prices of essential items.
The price monitoring committee also decided to continue monitoring the price situation at the city's kitchen markets.
Held at the Commerce Ministry's conference room with Additional Commerce Secretary Golam Mostakim in the chair, the meeting reviewed supply, stock and overall price situation of the essentials.
The meeting decided to ascertain annual demands and local productions of different essential items. The ministries and government agencies concerned were asked to submit reports in this regard at the next meeting of the committee to facilitate proper planning for the next year.
It also reviewed the steps taken by the government in keeping the prices at the tolerable level during Ramadan. These included Operation Dal-Bhat Programme of BDR, fair price shop of Ansar and TCB, introduction of market monitoring programme and view-exchange meetings with business leaders.
Representatives from the Ministries of Agriculture, Industries, Fisheries and Livestock, and Home, DGFI, Police, BDR, TCB, NBR, Agriculture Marketing Department, Agriculture Extension Department and BBS were present at the meeting.