Traders, TCB start fair price outlets in Ctg

CHATTOGRAM, May 07: After unanimously taking a decision to curb price hike, the local administration, trade bodies and other organisations, and a lawmaker have taken steps to keep prices of essentials within the reach of the commoners in the port city during Ramadan.

The steps include deploying mobile court, setting up market monitoring cell and opening fair-price outlets for the limited-income segment of the society to reduce sufferings of the city-dwellers during the holy month which began in the country on Tuesday.

The decision came following a series of meetings and discussions between the local administration, representatives of different trade bodies, including the Chattogram Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and Chattogram Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CMCCI), Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), importers, ordinary traders and a local lawmaker recently.

Sources said with the support from a lawmaker, traders and other stakeholders, the authorities have taken steps to control the price hike in Ramadan, the month of fasting for the Muslims.

They said some of the importers of essential commodities and general merchants opened fair-price outlets for the common people in the port city on Tuesday.

The initiatives of the importers are aimed at mitigating the sufferings of the consumers, especially low-income groups, caused by spiralling prices of essentials items, by smoothly supplying to them goods of day-to-day necessities at affordable costs, said the sources.

Apex trade body of the district, the CCCI also opened multiple fair price outlets in the city on the day.

CCCI President Mahbubul Alam inaugurated a fair price outlet at a ceremony this morning with directors Sayed Sagir Ahamod, Ahid Seraj Chowdhury Swapon, Alamgir Chowdhury and Anjan Shekhor Roy present.

It may be mentioned that the TCB has already started to sell some essentials at lower prices through 12 goods-carrying trucks at different important points of the city.

TCB officials said they have started open sell of essentials during Ramadan. The consumers can buy essentials including rice, sugar, oil, etc., from its sale centres at fair prices.

TCB Director Jamal Uddin Ahamed said: "TCB started selling of essentials with 12 trucks at the important spots in the port city from the last week. We are selling high quality goods at low price as per directives of the government. Besides, more than 300 dealers are also selling TCB goods in the port city now."

Before beginning of Ramadan, the CCCI and the CMCCI held an exchange of views meeting with stakeholders styled, 'keeping price of essential commodities stable and maintaining law and order during Ramadan' in the city.

Sources said, on the other hand, the price spike is continuing unabated due to severe traffic congestions in the port city, especially on the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway.

The snarl is impeding normal trade not only in Chattogram but also in the whole country, they said.

CCCI President Mahbubul Alam said that the snarl has reached at an unbearable state.

"The intolerable traffic congestion on Dhaka-Chattogram highway is creating bad impact on our trade and commerce, he said.

"The carrying of goods (to and from the port) and raw materials for industries as well as essentials are being hampered due to continuous traffic congestion which will create the cause of price hike in holy month of Ramadan," he added.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chattogram Mohammed Ilias held a meeting with the importers and other businesses before starting of Ramadan.

At the meeting, he called upon the business people to stop the price hike during the Ramadan.

He said Ramadan is the month of fasting, prayer and helping the poor.

"But, unfortunately, in our country, Ramadan is coming for price hike," he said.

At the meeting, the DC requested the businessmen to fix the prices of essentials. However, the importers and ordinary traders declined to fix the prices as per the direction of the DC.

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