JS body seeks halt to sugar exports
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
A parliamentary body has recommended a halt to sugar exports, as the price of the essential commodity continues to soar, the committee chairman said Monday, reports bdnews24.com.
The standing committee on industry also decided to investigate sugar export policies of the past BNP and caretaker governments.
"We have recommended no export of sugar until the ongoing crisis is averted," Chairman Tofail Ahmed told reporters after a meeting.
The past caretaker government allowed Deshbondhu Sugar Mill to export sugar last year.
Tofail said the committee decided to probe the deal since the sugar mill was allowed to export sugar without any tender process.
There are allegations that Deshbondhu Sugar Mill sold 800 tonnes of sugar out of 6,000 tonnes earmarked for export.
"We will probe whether the company exported or stocked the remaining sugar," he said.
The committee recommended that the industries ministry make arrangements to recover any sugar stocked by the company to sell in the open market.
Tofail said there was Tk 3.0 billion worth of sugar in stock during the end of previous Awami League government's tenure in 2001.
Later the BNP government allowed private companies to import sugar.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) sugar is being sold at Tk 60 to Tk 64 in retail markets. The price has increased in several phases since the beginning of Ramadan.
The price rose by 33 per cent in the last one month.
The standing committee on industry also decided to investigate sugar export policies of the past BNP and caretaker governments.
"We have recommended no export of sugar until the ongoing crisis is averted," Chairman Tofail Ahmed told reporters after a meeting.
The past caretaker government allowed Deshbondhu Sugar Mill to export sugar last year.
Tofail said the committee decided to probe the deal since the sugar mill was allowed to export sugar without any tender process.
There are allegations that Deshbondhu Sugar Mill sold 800 tonnes of sugar out of 6,000 tonnes earmarked for export.
"We will probe whether the company exported or stocked the remaining sugar," he said.
The committee recommended that the industries ministry make arrangements to recover any sugar stocked by the company to sell in the open market.
Tofail said there was Tk 3.0 billion worth of sugar in stock during the end of previous Awami League government's tenure in 2001.
Later the BNP government allowed private companies to import sugar.
According to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) sugar is being sold at Tk 60 to Tk 64 in retail markets. The price has increased in several phases since the beginning of Ramadan.
The price rose by 33 per cent in the last one month.