Fazlur Rahman
Sugar refiners Monday urged the government to take steps against the 'controversial' delivery order (DO) system as the device allows price manipulation in the market.
The demand was raised at a meeting between a delegation of Bangladesh Sugar Refiners Association (BSRA) and Bangladesh Sugar Dealers Traders Association (BSDTA) and Commerce Secretary Mohammad Golam Hossain at the latter's office at the secretariat.
Currently, refiners sell DO papers to a selected number of businessmen -- popularly known as DO-holders -- instead of marketing their products through dealers. These DO-holders later sell the papers to the dealers.
The refiners, who produce around 80 per cent of the country's total sugar, said time has come to abolish the highly controversial system, as it gives the DO-holders opportunity to hold the market hostage.
Refiners said they are totally against the delivery order system, which is largely blamed for destabilising the sugar market, particularly ahead of the month of Ramadan.
"Due to the delivery order system, a handful of people control the whole market," said a leader of BSRA, who was present at the meeting.
Bangladesh Sugar Dealers Traders Association (BSDTA) also demanded a ban on the DO system. "We have 5,000 dealers across the country. Of them, 3800 are currently active, who are capable of supplying sugar," said Mustafizur Rahman, the association president.
Refiners said Bangladesh could easily sell the excess sugar in the overseas markets as there has been a high demand for the item in countries like India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Malaysia and China.
The country's sugar production now stands at 2.4 million tonnes, exactly double the national annual consumption of 1.2 million tonnes.
Sugar refiners for undoing 'delivery order' system
FE Team | Published: May 11, 2010 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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