Staff Reporter :
Punitive actions must be taken against extra profiteers and dishonest traders, warned Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries on Sunday.
In a bid to find out the reasons behind the extra ordinary price hiking of various essential products, the FBCCI organized a view exchange meeting in its hall room in Motijheel on Sunday.
Traders, importers and wholesalers attended the meeting.
Md. Jashim Uddin, President of the FBCCI said that traders obviously make profit from their business.
But, he warned, if any trader is found earning extra profits, they must face punitive actions.
“Price of a product selling at Tk five in production level sells at Tk 10 after reaching Karwanbazar wholesale market. That product sells at Tk 20 in Gulshan kitchen market. Why so much different in its prices?” the FBCCI President questioned in the meeting.
Traders put ahead several logics behind price hiking and requested to solve those problems.
They said, price of per unit electricity is Tk 10 as commercial use, but the market associations are taking Tk 17.
For erasing the problem, they asked to set pre-paid meters in markets.
As per the discussions, the prices of different kinds of rice were stable according to the Trade Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) comprising with the international market in the last six months.
Meanwhile, in the case of onion, TCB’s price increased by 35.7 percent and the market price hiked by 43.2 percent. The price of sugar increased by 12.5 pc and palm oil 16.36 pc, lentil 11, turmeric by 20 per cent and ginger by 12.5 per cent.
The traders said, at least 12 to 15 kgs of onion might be reduced from per 40 kgs of onion after hoarding those during the season. They also blamed dependency on India for importing the most essential kitchen items.
The traders assured that the price must be decreased if supply of the product increased.
They said that within hours after announcing tariff lifting on onion importing, the price of the items reduced by Tk 15 to Tk 20 and was selling in kitchen markets at Tk 60 to Tk 65. In this point, FBCCI President said, it is not normal practice to reduce prices hours after the government’s announcement.
It was supposed that two to four days to reduce the price, there might be some problems behind the high price.”Those must have to be removed, he said. It would not let the anarchies to stay more,” the FBCCI President said.
Traders said that the prices of chicken remain high. Per kg of broilers are selling at Tk 180 to 190.
The FBCCI President said the business people may not bear the blames of price hiking due to few dishonest traders. It must have to be solved.
