JS body for declaring five items emergency products

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A parliamentary watchdog has suggested declaring five essential items as 'emergency national products' with a view to keeping their prices stable, reports bdnews24.com. The five items are rice, lentils, edible oil, sugar and Ata. Emerging out of a meeting of the standing committee on commerce ministry Thursday, its chairman ABM Abul Kashem said, "Though we've recommended those products, we're yet to determine their standards." He said the recommendation was made considering people's sufferings. The panel also suggested the commerce ministry to give subsidy on those products to keep prices in check. Saying that commodity prices were higher in India, Kashem said, "The government through subsidies has kept prices affordable there. The ministry has been advised to keep prices of these commodities affordable by any means." He said the Prime Minister was also in favour of strengthening the Trading Corporation Bangladesh (TCB) to make it more productive. The committee also pressed for hiked funding for the TCB so as to keep prices low for the common people. Kashem announced that the committee would be prepared to deal with those responsible for price hike during the upcoming Ramadan. Commerce Minister Faruk Khan, Tahura Ali, Rumana Mahmud, Sheikh Afil Uddin and Mohammad Abul Kashem were also present at the meeting.