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Editorial

TCB starts selling essentials today

Expand the facilities to union level


Bangladeshpost
Published : 10 Jan 2023 07:26 PM

The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling essential items today (Wednesday) at subsidized rates as part of its operation for the running month of this year. It would sell essential commodities in different parts of the country in association with the city corporations and district and upazila administrations.

Soybean oil will be available at Taka 110 per litre, sugar at Taka 60 per kilogram (KG) and lentil at Taka 70 per kg. Each family card holder can buy a maximum of two litre of soybean oil, two kgs of lentils and maximum one kg of sugar.

When the abnormal rise in prices of essential commodities has intensified miseries to the low- and fixed-income people across the country, TCB’s truck sale will give comfort to them. The sufferings are even more for the middle-class people because they cannot express or share with others that they have little or no food at their homes. Therefore, both poor and middle income groups are bearing the brunt of price hike as they were struggling with the previously skyrocketing prices already.

The government must intensify 

monitoring the recent price hike 

of some essentials to check anomalies

The prices of daily essential commodities including rice, edible oil, chicken, onion, egg, meat, fish, and vegetables went up in the kitchen markets. Besides, most of the vegetables are selling at higher prices although supply of various winter vegetables are available in the country’s kitchen markets.

There is enough stock of essentials in the country. So, there is no reason to increase price of essentials in the name of short supply.

The soaring prices of essentials like rice, pulse, onion and vegetable, are forcing many to rush to OMS (Open Market Sale) trucks of state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to buy their commodities at lower prices. The poor people especially the day-labourers, rickshaw-pullers, drivers or housemaids used to come to buy daily essentials at low prices earlier. But it has been noticed in recent times that a large number of middle-class people are also in the queue to buy goods from TCB truck.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is constantly saying there are some people who want to make some quick bucks during the period (capitalising the situation arising out of the Coronavirus and Russian-Ukraine conflicts). In this regard, the government must intensify monitoring the recent price hike of some essentials to check anomalies. We hope when the TCB will begin selling the essential commodities across the country the prices will come down. Last but not least, necessary measurers should be taken so that only the deserved families can avail the facilities.