FBCCI cell to monitor prices of essentials in Ramadan

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FE Report
The country's apex trade body will formulate a special cell to monitor kitchen markets during the holy month of Ramadan to control the price hike of essentials.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president AK Azad said, "The monitoring cell will strictly keep watch on the major kitchen markets on a daily basis to maintain the commodity prices stable in Ramadan."
"We will formulate a monitoring cell comprising representatives of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and traders to monitor major kitchen markets," he said while addressing a discussion meeting on "Price situation of essential goods on the eve of Holy Ramadan", organised by FBCCI at its conference centre in the city Sunday.
The newly-elected FBCCI chief said, "We will formulate a monitoring cell comprising representatives of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) and traders."
The president urged the traders to keep the price of essentials like -- onion, sugar, pulse, gram, potato, green chilli, brinjal which are largely used during the Ramadan.
He said, "This time FBCCI would not render any sort of help to protect the dishonest traders" and warned them against doing syndicate business, otherwise their licence will be cancelled.
The wholesaler and different business association leaders present at the meeting suggested that there should be coordination between supply and demand during the Ramadan, otherwise the price hike cannot be stopped.
They blamed TCB for their unsound institutional activities and lack of manpower that is why they fail to implement their plan to import, store and supply essentials as per demand in Ramadan, the traders said.
TCB official Al-Amin Mustafizur Rahman said, "We have planned to stock 25,000 tonnes of pulse, 25000 tonnes of Sugar, 72,000 litres of Soyabean oil, 15,000 litres of Palm oil and 2000 tonnes of gram to meet the demand during Holy Ramadan."
Mr Rahman admitted that TCB could not play its due role for lack of manpower.
FBCCI first vice president Md Jasim Uddin, vice president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu and directors Abdur Razzaque, Md. Helal Uddin and Abu Alam Chowdhury were present at the meeting.