Move to bring some items under licensing coverage

The government has taken an initiative to bring some essential commodities under licensing coverage with a view to curbing possible scope of syndication, officials said.
As part of the move, the ministry of commerce (MoC) has formed a six-member committee to devise necessary steps in this connection, they said.
The committee will submit a detailed suggestion within two months from early this month after reviewing The Control of Essential Commodities Act-1956, The Control of Essential Commodities Order-1981 and SRO no 259, 2012.
 "We are relentlessly working on the issue. It will take time to prepare a suggestions paper," Joint Secretary of the MoC and convener of the committee Md Sadar Ali Biswas told the FE recently.
Some 40 essential items are under different ministries. So, the licensing process and licence and renewal fees of the commodities will be fixed through discussions with the ministries concerned, the joint secretary said.
 "There are over 40 items in the country which are declared as essential commodities under The Control of Essential Commodities Act-1956. But several items had earlier been brought under licensing coverage while most of the items are out of licensing system. For this reason, the government has decided to implement the move," Deputy Secretary of the MoC Md Mahbubul Islam told the FE.
Iron and steel materials, cement, cotton cloth (wholesale and retail), cotton yarn (wholesale and retail), milk food, cigarette (wholesale and distributor) and several items have been brought under licensing system, he said.
The ministries of health and agriculture have already taken some essential commodities under the umbrella of licensing, the deputy secretary said.
The move has been taken mainly aiming to keep the supply chain, prices and market situation of the declared essential commodities stable. Syndication and hoarding of most of the items by some fraudulent traders are a common practice in the country.
According to The Control of Essential Commodities Act-1956, an 'essential commodity' means any of the following classes of commodities:
foodstuffs (edible oilseeds and oils), cotton and woolen textiles, mechanically propelled vehicles, their spare parts and tyres and tubes for the same, coal, iron and steel, mica, drugs and medicines, including those administered by injection, chemicals including gases, electrical and radio goods and appliances, including wires and cables, medical and surgical instruments and appliances, glass and glassware including scientific and laboratory equipment, artificial silk yarn, cycles, their spare parts, and tyres and tubes for the same.
Besides, matches, timber, sanitary and water supply fittings, infant and patient foods and allied articles, cement, cigarettes, fertilisers, tallow, torch cells and paper including paper-board, pulp-board, wall-board, fibre board, straw board, box-board, cellulose wadding, cellulose films and other similar materials which are manufactured wholly or mainly either from vegetable fibres or a pulp thereof or both from such fibres and such pulp.
    [email protected]