50 chamber bodies to run fair price shops in Ramadan
FE Report | Thursday, 21 August 2008
At least 50 out of the country's 64 chamber bodies are planning to open fair price outlets in their respective areas to boost supply and stabilise prices of essential commodities during the ensuing holy month of Ramadan.
This is the first ever move taken by the chamber bodies to sell essential commodities at makeshift outlets to stabilise their prices.
Earlier, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) urged the chamber bodies to play a concrete role in combating the price spiral of essential commodities by running fair price outlets during the month of Ramadan.
'We are getting good response from the chamber bodies in setting up such outlets, we expect at least 70 outlets will be opened during Ramadan,' said Kamal Uddin Ahmed, chief of the market monitoring committee of the apex chamber body FBCCI.
The outlets will sell almost all essential items including rice, pulse, chickpea and potato at fair prices.
The FBCCI will provide assistance to those chambers, which are not financially sound.
'We will not give them money; we will just link them with the importers and wholesalers to ensure the supplies to them. FBCCI will be a guarantor, if the importers refuse to provide the supplies to them,' Mr Kamal added.
Lalmonirhat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Serajul Hoque told the FE that they would set up 23 outlets in his district.
'We will sell all items, we will sell the essential commodities without making any profit,' he added.
He also said they would distribute at least 500 kilogrammes of rice from each outlet.
This is the first ever move taken by the chamber bodies to sell essential commodities at makeshift outlets to stabilise their prices.
Earlier, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) urged the chamber bodies to play a concrete role in combating the price spiral of essential commodities by running fair price outlets during the month of Ramadan.
'We are getting good response from the chamber bodies in setting up such outlets, we expect at least 70 outlets will be opened during Ramadan,' said Kamal Uddin Ahmed, chief of the market monitoring committee of the apex chamber body FBCCI.
The outlets will sell almost all essential items including rice, pulse, chickpea and potato at fair prices.
The FBCCI will provide assistance to those chambers, which are not financially sound.
'We will not give them money; we will just link them with the importers and wholesalers to ensure the supplies to them. FBCCI will be a guarantor, if the importers refuse to provide the supplies to them,' Mr Kamal added.
Lalmonirhat Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Serajul Hoque told the FE that they would set up 23 outlets in his district.
'We will sell all items, we will sell the essential commodities without making any profit,' he added.
He also said they would distribute at least 500 kilogrammes of rice from each outlet.