Govt widens OMS operation

FE REPORT
The government is expanding its open market sale (OMS) operation across the country to sell more essential items at subsidized rates to the common people, officials said.
In this regard, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) appointed 46 new dealers temporarily on April 16 last, they added.
Besides, a process is well underway to appoint more dealerships for selling more TCB goods among consumers, TCB documents read.
Currently, an estimated of 2,861 dealers has been listed with the trading corporation across the country.
The state-agency has recently warned that it would cancel licence if it finds involvement of any dealer in any irregularity in selling essential items allocated by the state-owned trading agency.
TCB has already asked its regional and camp offices to take action for breaching terms of the contracts signed with the entity.
In its directive, the TCB warned of cancelling dealership licence if any report is run in print, electronic and online media about any anomaly in selling its goods.
Licence will also be revoked if deputy commissioners, UNO, Consumers Rights Protection Department, police, RAB, local administration and any other authorities complain against any dealer for the same reason.
Currently, there are eight regional and four camp offices of the corporation across the country.
The TCB sells sugar, soy a bean oil, lentil, gram and date through dealers at subsidised rates as part of its intervention into the market.
The TCB counts substantial financial losses every year and gets subsidy from the government, a commerce ministry official said.
It launched OMS of key essential items from April 01 to keep prices within the purchasing power of the public ahead of Ramadan.
The OMS programme will continue across the country until May 20, excepting Fridays.
The entity is selling goods through 400 trucks.
Most recently, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has warned of taking stern action against any dealer involved in any irregularity in selling essential items, according to a press statement of the ministry.
The authorities concerned have found allegations of irregularities in selling key essential items in different parts of the country.
Monitoring has been strengthened, the statement said, adding that the TCB has taken legal action against the manipulators as per the instructions of the minister.
The commerce ministry on April 15 last constituted eight teams to monitor the ongoing truck-sale activities of TCB in the two Dhaka city corporation areas, officials said.
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