The government has stepped up its market monitoring recently aiming to keep the prices of essential commodities stable all the year round, officials said.
To this end, the Ministry of Commerce (MoC) has doubled its vigilance teams to oversee the kitchen market with intent to give some succour to consumers.
A total of 28 teams have already been formed. The teams started conducting drives in the city markets on January 01. The drives will continue up to June 30 next.
Each team was comprised of eleven members drawn from different ministries, government agencies and business associations. There were 14 teams earlier, according to the commerce ministry.
The teams were formed with representatives from commerce, agriculture, home, industries and food ministries, the Bangladesh Tariff Commission, Dhaka City Corporation, the district administration of Dhaka, Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
The commerce ministry deploys four teams per day, including weekends to monitor the markets in Dhaka city, said a desk official familiar with the move.
A commerce ministry official said the government intends to closely monitor the price situation with an aim to keep the prices of essentials within the people's purchasing power. For this, the number of teams was increased to 28 from 14.
"The drives by the market monitoring teams have been strengthened further. We have asked the teams to be more sincere about their duties throughout the year, especially during Ramadan," said a senior commerce ministry official.
They (teams) are collecting price data and information on stock and supply of essentials, he told the FE.
If any anomaly arises, he said, on-the-spot mobile courts will take action against any traders.
The teams also take stern action against price manipulators as per existing law, he continued.
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