Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Thursday said that the number of family cards of the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would be increased considering the selling of essential items among the mass people at subsidized rates. Commerce Minister said this while inaugurating the sale operations of essentials of TCB as the chief guest at Tejgaon in capital Dhaka marking the Holy Month of Ramadan. "Ours such kind of operation aims at delivering essentials among one crore families at affordable price. Such essentials would be sold ahead of Ramadan. The prices of commodities have increased worldwide putting an impact on the local market also.  Considering the interests of the mass people, the Prime Minister has been trying her best to sell essentials among the commoners at an affordable price. We're working to this end" he said.  He informed that such operations of TCB would continue until March 30 while efforts are there so that the family card holders get their essential items at ease side by side there is distribution of more cards. Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Tapan Kanti Ghosh, TCB Chairman Brig Gen M Ariful Hasan, Dhaka North City Corporation 25 number ward councilor Abdullah Al Monjur were present, among others, on the occasion. Marking the Holy Month of Ramadan, some one crore families across the country including Dhaka are getting five essential items at subsidized rates from today. These items are edible oil, sugar, dates, chickpeas and lentil. The operations will be conducted in two phases while the first phase was inaugurated today. Under the operation, the price of per kg sugar is Taka 60, per kg lentil is Taka 70, per litre soybean oil is Taka 110, per kg chickpeas is Taka 50 while per kg dates is Taka 100. One consumer will be able to buy highest 2 kgs of lentil, 2 litres of Soybean oil, one kg each sugar, chickpeas and dates.

The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) today (Sunday) started selling essential items to some one crore families across the country at a subsidized rate centering the Holy Month of Ramadan.    Commerce Ministry Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh inaugurated such operations at Shishu Kalyan Primary School at Fatullah and Station Road Haque Stall Mills area in Narayanganj. Commerce Ministry Additional Secretary AHM Shafiquzzaman, TCB Chairman Brig Gen Md Ariful Haque, Deputy Commissioner of Narayanganj Md Monjurul Hafiz were present, among others, on the occasion.    Speaking on the occasion, the Commerce Secretary said that the sale of essentials began today throughout the country through family cards under the special arrangement by TCB following directives from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The essential items would be provided in two phases centering the Holy Month of Ramadan.    Under the first phase, some five types of essential items will be sold till March 31 across the country at an affordable price while the sale of TCB goods in the 2nd phase will commence from April 3.    Official at the TCB said that they have started sending their items at district level since March 8 to make this initiative a success while the essential items have been kept at the government godowns in the district level under the supervision of the district administration.    In the first phase, each family would be entitled to enjoy two litres of soybean oil at Taka 110 per litre, two KGs of sugar at Taka 55 per KG, five KGs of onion at Taka 30 per KG and two KGs of lentil at Taka 65 per KG. In the 2nd phase, each family would get two KGs of chickpeas at Taka 50 per KG in addition to the items being given in the first phase. Source: BSS AH

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi today (Wednesday) said the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would sell essential items to some one crore low-income group people at low prices ahead of the forthcoming holy month of Ramadan. "This time, TCB will come to the market increasing its capacity around four times. Essential items of the TCB will be reached to one crore people within the next one or one and a half months. I think, around five crore people will be benefited through the initiative," he said.  The minister said this while speaking at a press conference after a meeting held at the Secretariat on keeping the commodities prices in check during the month of Ramadan.  Tipu Munshi informed that the government has decided to stop the sale of non-bottled soybean oil after 31 May and sale of non-bottled palm oil after 31 December.  "Only bottled or packed soybean and palm oil will be allowed to be sold in retail shops. It is not possible to ensure that non-bottled oil is sold at a fixed price. Therefore, edible oil will be sold in a softly-packaged system. The Commerce Ministry is working with the Industries Ministry to ensure the packaging systems," he said.  He also said the government will take stern action against dishonest businessmen who are illegally stocking and hoarding edible oils.  "Some of them sell bottled oil illegally as non-bottled to make a profit," he added.  To control the unusual price situation, the minister said law enforcement and intelligence agencies, deputy commissioners, consumer rights protection department, competition commission and other agencies have been instructed to conduct drives in the market. However, Tipu Munshi said there is no possibility of crisis of essential commodities during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan across the country as there is enough stock of the items. "There will be no shortage of essential commodities in the country during the Ramadan ... the country has sufficient stock of essential commodities," he said. Source: BSS AH

The price of potatoes is increasing keeping pace with the price of onions in this coronavirus pandemic situation. As a result commerce ministry’s autonomous organization Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is going to sell potatoes along with onions, edible oil and lentils. Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said that TCB is going to sell potatoes throughout the country at 25 taka per kilogram from next Wednesday. The Commerce Minister held a meeting with the owners of cold storages at the ministry office as an unease situation is prevailing in the market over the price of potatoes. After the meeting the minister told the newsmen that agriculture marketing directorate has fixed the prices of potatoes in three levels and it will be strictly implemented. Those who would not sell potatoes in these fixed prices, action will be taken against them.  AH

In an effort to keep the supply and price of onion normal in the country, state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will start selling it soon at a fair price. The task force committee of the Commerce Ministry took the decision at a meeting held at the Commerce Ministry on Sunday, said a handout of the Ministry issued on Monday. “TCB will start selling onion through trucks and it will continue until the new onions arrive in local markets,” it said. The meeting also discussed the prices and supply of essential commodities. The government will take stern action if any attempt is made to increase the price of onion artificially and hoard it illegally as there is no logical reason of price hike and supply crunch of onion, it said. Besides, Commerce Ministry monitoring team and Directorate of the National Consumers Rights and Protection have started market monitoring strongly. Committee members were present at the meeting while President of the Task Force Committee and also the secretary to the Commerce Ministry Dr Mohammad Zafar Uddin presided over it.  Source: UNB AH

State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell onion at Tk 35 per kilogram from tomorrow. TCB spokesman Humayun Kabir on Sunday said they decided to reduce the price after observing the market situation. “Each kg onion will be sold at Tk 35 from Monday from trucks until further announcement. We used to sell the imported bulb at Tk 45 in the capital to control its prices,” he said. According to TCB market observation, each kg imported onion was being sold at Tk 60-120 and the local variety at Tk 90-110 on Sunday. Onion prices started surging after India banned its export on September 29 for “improving domestic availability”. The supply crunch pushed up the price of the common kitchen item by as much as 557.8 percent year-on-year rise, according to TCB. The price started coming down in recent weeks after imported onion and the local varieties hit the market. Source: UNB AH

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has accelerated the sale of onion at Tk 45 per kg both at divisional and district levels, including Dhaka city, to keep its supply and price at the normal level. Onion is being sold through trucks at 50 important locations of Dhaka city, said a Commerce Ministry handout. It said the government has taken a special initiative to import onion by air and sea, and several consignments of it imported by air and sea have already reached the country. Onion is being imported from Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan through air cargoes. TCB has started selling onion so that the government can keep its supply normal and the price at reasonable level. Local varieties of onion (with leaves) have already arrived in the market and their prices are coming down fast, the handout added, normalizing its supply and price. Source: UNB AH

Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will engage 187 trucks in selling of different essential commodities such as sugar, pulses, oil, gram and dates at division and district level across the country during the holy month of Ramadan. Reports BSS. It was informed during a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on the commerce ministry held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban in the capital on Thursday, said a press release.   The meeting was informed that the Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection will beef up its market monitoring activities to keep the prices of essential commodities stable during Ramadan.  As per the TCB's plan steps have already been taken to collect 2000 tonnes of sugar, 1500 tonnes of mushur dal, 1000 tonnes of edible oil, 1,995 tones of gram and 100 tonnes of dates ahead of Ramadan. The imported gram and mushur dal will soon reach Chattogram port from Australia.  Committee chairman Md Tajul Islam Chowdhury chaired the meeting while its members commerce minister Tofail Ahmed, Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Md Sanwar Hossain, Laila Arjuman Banu and Mohammad Hasan Imam Khan attended the meeting.  Secretary of the commerce ministry, chairman of TCB and high officials of the ministry and the Jatiya Sangsad were present at the meeting. AH