Bangladesh: Ramadan essential prices to be discussed soon

Published 20 Jan,2021 via The Financial Express - The government is going for stocktaking of supplies and prices as part of its advance planning to keep the prices of essentials under control during Ramadan.

Under the initiative, the government authorities will sit soon with its officials and stakeholders to devise a plan ahead of the holy month of Ramadan so that prices of key essential items remain stable during the month of fasting, officials said.

The meeting to be held at the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) with commerce secretary Md Jafar Uddin in the chair will review the prices of essential items in the city kitchen markets, they added.

"We have taken initiatives to keep the markets of essential items stable throughout the year. We will sit soon to analyse the price-and-supply situation of the commodities," a high official of the commerce ministry said.

At present, both prices and supplies of various essentials in the capital city remained stable, he said, adding that the situation would have to be kept under control during Ramadan in the interests of commoners.

In the meeting, necessary steps would be taken to stabilize the prices of onion, garlic, sugar, edible oils, onions, dates and gram during Ramadan.

Edible oil prices in the market have shot up in recent weeks.

Representatives from the ministries of agriculture and food, the National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Tariff Commission, Bangladesh Bank, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation and the Chief Controller of Imports and Exports will attend the meeting, a source said.

Representatives from the focal points of the 'Review of Commodities' Prices and Forecast' cell of the MoC will also attend the meeting.

The government, however, will launch open-market sale (OMS) of key essentials such as onion, sugar, soybean oils, lentils, gram and dates aiming to keep their prices within the buying capacity of the common people during Ramadan when the prices of these mass-consumed items usually go up.

The TCB will go for rationing essential items in different parts of the country during the period, using trucks in Dhaka, Chattogram, divisional cities and district towns.

It will sell different types of commodities such as onion, sugar, soybean oils, lentils, gram and dates, according to the TCB,

The state agency will start to sell key essential commodities at subsidised rates during the holy month to help keep the prices and supplies stable during Ramadan.

Currently, onion and edible oils etc are being sold at subsidised rates in different parts of Dhaka city.

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