The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) has formed an investigation team to unearth the reasons behind the price hikes of personal care toiletries products including soap, aromatic soap, detergent powder, toothpaste, shampoo and cleaner.
The members of the investigation team would visit the factories of the related companies and review the price of raw materials and other related expenditures.
Representatives from the Tariff Commission, ICMAB and Consumers Association
of Bangladesh (CAB) will accompany the investigation team during the visits
to the factories.
If any abnormal thing is found behind the price hike, the Directorate would
take legal action against the companies, the Director General of DNCRP AHM
Shafiquzzaman told BSS after chairing a meeting with the representatives of
different personal homecare toiletries producing and marketing companies held
at the office of the Directorate in the capital's Kawranbazar area.
He informed that they had convened the meeting to detect the price hike of
various personal homecare products like soap, aromatic soap, detergent
powder, toothpaste, shampoo and cleaner.
Representatives from companies like ACI, Unilever, and Kallol Group were
present at the meeting.
Shafiquzzaman said the toiletries companies had informed the meeting that the
prices of such products have increased in the local market due to the price
hike of raw materials in the global market, the high exchange rate of Taka
against US dollars, increase in freight and transportation cost, and increase
in production cost.
"We've given a patient hearing to the producing companies. The investigation
team which has been formed will visit large factories and thus review the
production cost, the reasons behind the price hike of such products," he
added.
The Director General of the DNCRP said they would recommend the government
based on the findings of the visits of the investigation team.
He also informed that legal action would be taken if anything irrational is
found behind the price hike of such daily essential toiletries items.
It is mentionable that the price of essential homecare toiletries items
witnessed a hike of 30 to 60 per cent over the last year.
