Big profits are the focus of all concerned with essential commodities. This has resulted in the formation of vested groups amongst a section of owners, wholesalers, and intermediaries who actively conspire to increase and decrease the price of essentials. This time the commodity in question is edible oil. Already there is criticism regarding the price of onions, potatoes and now edible oil has been added to that list.
According to a report, the government is struggling to put a leash on the ever rising prices of essentials and protect the consumers from the tyranny of the syndicate. According to the normal rules of the economy, when the supply of goods decreases, the price increases and when the supply increases, the price decreases. But this rule does not always apply in our market. Here, the fluctuation of price is so abrupt and rash that the common man cannot but fall prey to this sort of unruliness.
The fluctuation of price is so abrupt that the
common man cannot but fall prey to this sort of unruliness
The sad aspect of all this is that the farmers are deprived of their rightful price and the common people are exploited out of their money, but the main gainers through illegal means are the unscrupulous businessmen, syndicates and middlemen. The unbridled rise in prices of daily commodities is becoming a cause of misery for the common man. A large part of their income goes into buying daily necessities including rice, pulses, vegetables and oils. The government may take care to keep the prices of daily commodities at a tolerable level so that no one incurs any losses nor do the customers have to unusually ration their domestic budget.
The report also sheds light on the digression of dishonest businesses selling rice at higher price despite it being fixed by the government. For the past one month the price for 50-kg rice sack has been selling at excess of Tk 250. Also, the price of edible oil was fixed by the government at the mill level, but that doesn’t seem to have had any impact on the markets.
The authorities concerned should bring the markets and prices to ropes and aid in alleviating the plight of the common people.
