The government has decided to include five more items in the TCB's (trading Corporation of Bangladesh) sales drive of essential items from November next.
The new items are: Tea, salt, detergent, and two types of soaps.
Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin said this at a meeting on selection and activation of beneficiaries for TCB's smart family card at his ministry on Monday.
Commerce secretary Mahbubur Rahman, administrators of Dhaka north and south city corporations Mohammad Azaz and Md Shahjahan Miah respectively and administrator of Gazipur City Corporation, additional deputy commissioners and Upazila executive officers of the districts surrounding Dhaka attended the meeting.
Commerce adviser said the government provides Tk 50 billion annually as subsidy for operating the TCB's
essentials sales drive.
The TCB will be selling the five new products along with the TCB's existing products from November next, giving relief to the poor people and helping curb inflation to some extent.
The advisor said the government has been making efforts to beef up TCB's activities. So, officials concerned have to work proactively to select the targeted 10-million beneficiaries correctly, he added.
He also expressed the hope the 'smart family cards' under the TCB would reach the real beneficiaries.
At the same time, he also advised the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to ensure visible progress on the selection of beneficiaries under the TCB's sales drive across the country.
Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said selection of beneficiaries has emerged as a major problem under the TCB's sales drive.
Besides, the pace of city corporations' activities in this regard has become somewhat sloth.
Currently, there are a total of 6.34 million active cards under the sales drive, official sources said, adding about 0.34 million more cards are now awaiting activation.
Presently, the TCB is selling edible oil, lentils and sugar include and rice at subsidised rates among 10 million cardholder families.
As a result, around 30-32 per cent of the country's population are benefiting from the programme throughout the year.
Apart from its regular ones, the TCB operates special sales drives during the holy month of Ramand.
It currently sells some key essential items through trucks, aiming to help keep prices of key essential items within the purchasing power of ordinary people.
rezamumu@gmail.com
