Trade bodies seek further cut in rice price
Saturday, 4 April 2009
FE Report
Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA) will start OMS (open market sale) of rice for their workers by April 10.
Both the trade bodies in a meeting with the food secretary on Wednesday sought further cut in the price of coarse rice by Tk 2-3 for distribution to the workers.
Talking to FE, BGMEA second vice-president Mohiuddin Ahmed, who led the 3-member BGMEA delegation on Wednesday's meeting, said they proposed for reasonable price reduction so that the workers and farmers are not affected by the initiative.
"The price reduction should bring some relief. Only a cut by Tk 1.0 or 1.50 will not be attractive to their workers as the price of rice is gradually going down in the retail markets," he said.
He said the government had earlier fixed the price at Tk 18 a kg when it was at Tk 24 at the retail markets. "But now its retail price is Tk 20 per kg. So, it should be further reduced," he added.
Mr. Ahmed said the government assured them in the meeting that they will seriously consider the matter. "But we want to start OMS operation for garment workers by April 10," he said.
BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque said the government could re-fix the price of rice at Tk 15 per kg for the sake of garment workers as the initiative has been taken for them.
Both BGMEA and BKMEA gave a list of some 1.0 million garment workers to the government in this connection. But the number is increasing as other factories have shown interest to run similar scheme.
BGMEA and BKMEA had earlier announced that they in cooperation with the government would start OMS operation for their poor workers from April 1 to provide rice at Tk 18 per kg (kilogram) to mitigate the affects of price hike of essentials on them.
But they could not launch the programme as the price of rice is reducing in the retail markets in the recent times.
Bangladesh Garment Manufactures and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and Bangladesh Knitwear Manufactures and Exporters Association (BKMEA) will start OMS (open market sale) of rice for their workers by April 10.
Both the trade bodies in a meeting with the food secretary on Wednesday sought further cut in the price of coarse rice by Tk 2-3 for distribution to the workers.
Talking to FE, BGMEA second vice-president Mohiuddin Ahmed, who led the 3-member BGMEA delegation on Wednesday's meeting, said they proposed for reasonable price reduction so that the workers and farmers are not affected by the initiative.
"The price reduction should bring some relief. Only a cut by Tk 1.0 or 1.50 will not be attractive to their workers as the price of rice is gradually going down in the retail markets," he said.
He said the government had earlier fixed the price at Tk 18 a kg when it was at Tk 24 at the retail markets. "But now its retail price is Tk 20 per kg. So, it should be further reduced," he added.
Mr. Ahmed said the government assured them in the meeting that they will seriously consider the matter. "But we want to start OMS operation for garment workers by April 10," he said.
BKMEA president Fazlul Hoque said the government could re-fix the price of rice at Tk 15 per kg for the sake of garment workers as the initiative has been taken for them.
Both BGMEA and BKMEA gave a list of some 1.0 million garment workers to the government in this connection. But the number is increasing as other factories have shown interest to run similar scheme.
BGMEA and BKMEA had earlier announced that they in cooperation with the government would start OMS operation for their poor workers from April 1 to provide rice at Tk 18 per kg (kilogram) to mitigate the affects of price hike of essentials on them.
But they could not launch the programme as the price of rice is reducing in the retail markets in the recent times.