Anisul Islam Noor :
The general consumers are being regularly cheated by organized syndicate. Each and every consumer is forced to pay three to four times higher price than the usual rate during the two Eids every year.
The sale price of garlic, ginger, onion and other spices at the retail markets is about 25 to 45 per cent higher than the usual rate. The importers and the wholesalers have blamed the excessive customs duty, on an average 70 percent for price-hike.
Usually the demand for garlic, ginger and onion rises every year during the two Eids.
Garlic price rose by Tk30 to Tk40 per kg despite import of 13,000 tonnes in last two months. The local brand is selling at Tk 90 to 100 per kilo compared with Tk 60 to 70 last month. The average price of garlic at the wholesale level was selling at Tk 60 to 75 per kilo.
The country’s annual demand for garlic is five lakh tonnes of which 3.92 lakh tonnes are produced locally, Commerce Ministry sources said.
The Chinese brand of garlic’s import rate is Tk53 per kg (excluding customs), which is being sold at Tk80 to 90 per kg at the retail markets. According to a statement of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of garlic, both import and local, increased by 28 percent on average in last one month. However, the local onion price rose by 42 percent.
Local demand for ginger is about three lakh tonnes. The country produces 2.26 lakh tonnes only. About 11000 tonnes of ginger had been imported in last two moths but its impact in the markets is little, sources added.
The Indonesian brand of ginger’s import rate is Tk110 per kg (excluding VAT which is being sold at 180 to 220 per kg, increasing by 56 percent in one month. The import price of Chinese ginger is $3050 and Indonesian $1600 compared with $850 and $300 respectively in few years ago.
Local annual demand for onion is 20 to 22 lakh tonnes. About 13 lakh tonnes are locally produced. Rest of the demand is met by import, Commerce Ministry sources added.
The onion price is stable in the local markets. Import price of onion is Tk23.5 per kg (excluding vat). It is being sold at Tk38 to Tk40 in retail markets, sources added.
President of Bangladesh Paikari Garom Moshalla Baybosaie Samity Spice Haji Enayet Ullah said, the spice price is stable in both wholesale and retail markets. He, however, declined to disclose import rate of others curry items which mostly use in meat cooking.
But another importer asking for anonymity said, the spices were selling higher at wholesale markets by about Tk30 to 45 per cent above the import rate.
Of the spices, cumin was selling at the retail level at Tk300 to Tk400 kg, cloves at Tk1300 to Tk1500 per kg, cardamom at Tk1100 to Tk1600, cinnamon at Tk 270 to Tk320, black pepper at Tk1000 to Tk1200 and cassias leaf (tejpata) at Tk180 to Tk220 per kg. At the wholesale level, the price of cinnamon is Tk 230 to 250, raisin imported from India and China sells at Tk 220 to 320 per kilo, alubokhara at Tk 320 to 330 per kilo, an increase of Tk 20 to 30 and joyful at Tk 800 to 1000.
Atiqul Haque, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paikari Garom Mosalla Baybosaie Samity said, the prices of spice increased due to higher vat. About 70 percent vat has been imposed in different names on spice, he added.
