BDR shops may stop selling rice soon
FE Report | Thursday, 5 June 2008
The para-military, Bangladesh Rifles, may be forced to stop selling rice to poor consumers through its outlets across the country at subsidised price of Tk 25 a kg within a couple of days, sources said.
The stock of rice with the BDR, sources said, will hardly be able to meet demand for a day or two. Moreover, it does not have fund to procure rice from the local market to run its 250 shops, including 100 in the capital.
A plea made by the BDR for additional fund has been turned down by the finance ministry, sources added.
The BDR has been running the outlets since April last following substantial price hike of rice in the global and local markets which was hurting the fixed and low income groups.
The ministry allocated Tk 1.15 billion interest free loan to BDR by which it procured some 0.255 million tonnes of rice.
Until Tuesday last the BDR had 1,680 tonnes of rice in its stock.
The stock of rice with the BDR, sources said, will hardly be able to meet demand for a day or two. Moreover, it does not have fund to procure rice from the local market to run its 250 shops, including 100 in the capital.
A plea made by the BDR for additional fund has been turned down by the finance ministry, sources added.
The BDR has been running the outlets since April last following substantial price hike of rice in the global and local markets which was hurting the fixed and low income groups.
The ministry allocated Tk 1.15 billion interest free loan to BDR by which it procured some 0.255 million tonnes of rice.
Until Tuesday last the BDR had 1,680 tonnes of rice in its stock.