Tipu urges businessmen to sell essential items in just price

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has called upon the businessmen to sell essential items in just price.

He also cautioned that each retail shop should have to have price list, otherwise stern legal action would be taken against them.

The Commerce Minister also directed the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate to beef up their vigilance in ensuring hanging of the pricelists in each and every shop.

Tipu said this during his visit to the Karwanbazar Kitchen market on Sunday after meeting the leaders of the Karwanbazar Babosayi Somittee.

"Except some shops, I have seen pricelists at most of the shops in Karwanbazar, It's my directives if the price lists are not available at the shops and then steps will be taken. Yesterday, the business leaders have assured that the price of essentials won't rise. They (FBCCI) have formed a committee of 46 members and they will monitor some 46 products," he said.

Mentioning that there is no dearth of essential items in the kitchen market, Tipu said the stock of each and every product is higher than the demand while the supply of items like edible oil, lentil, sugar and spices remained stable.

He said after the VAT rate has been reduced on import of edible oil, some 80,000 to 90,000 tonnes of edible oil have been imported from abroad.

"There is no crisis as the stock is higher than the demand. It's my directive to the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate, if anyone tries to cheat people during this time of Ramadan or sell products on higher prices, then none will be spared," he cautioned.

The Commerce Minister mentioned that the common people are now getting the benefits of reduction of tax and VAT on essential items adding that a taskforce has already been formed to monitor the market situation and they are working with due importance.

Answering to a question, he said the wholesale market is under control, but in retail level, there might be some differences due to the transportation costs. "If the prices at the wholesale level remained stable, then I think the price may increase by Taka 1 or 2 in the remote areas."

Tipu informed that through the truck sales of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), someone crore families are being benefited of which 85 lakh of them are in the rural areas.

He said if any family has five members on average, then some five crore people are being benefitted from such initiative and all credit goes to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Tipu said around middle of this month, the products from the TCB will be given again while the Premier has urged the recipients to preserve the cards of the TCB.

Replying to another question, the Commerce Minister urged all to inform him in case of any incident of extortion in the transportation and supply chain of goods. 

"Necessary action will be taken if there is any incident of extortion. A meeting will be held with the Home Minister soon following the allegation of extortion raised by the business community." Citing that the price of fruits has increased to some extent centering the Holy Month of Ramadan, the Commerce Minister said that they would beef up their vigilance so that none could increase the price in illegal way.

Commerce Ministry Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and Director General of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate AHM Shafiquzzaman were present, among others, on the occasion.