Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has taken all preparations to boost stocks of essential commodities with a view to keeping the market stable during the holy month of Ramzan, official sources said on Tuesday.
As part of the effort, the state-run organisation has already invited tenders for procurement of edible oil, dates and lentil from the importers.
The TCB has set a procurement target of 3,000 tonnes edible oil, 3,000 tonnes lentil, 1,500 tonnes gram and 150 tonnes dates to maintain smooth supply of the items during the month of Ramzan.
“We have invited international tenders for the procurement of the commodities and hope the bidding process will be completed soon,” TCB spokesperson Humayun Kabir, told The New Nation yesterday.
He said, the imported items are likely to be sold in the market ahead of the holy Ramzan.
When asked, Humayun Kabir said, if we get poor response from the importers, then we will procure the commodities from the local market.
“We want to raise our stock as much as possible before the Ramzan to prevent the unscrupulous traders’ bid to make windfall gain in that month,” he said
He said the traders usually try to create an artificial crisis in the market by tightening supply to make windfall profit. Once TCB can maintain a good stock of commodities in its godowns this year, it will help the organisation to intervene the market successfully, he said.
“Selling prices of the commodity would be fixed after completion of the tender process,” he said
The state-run organisation usually sells essentials during the month of fasting and festivals in open market to rein price spirals of the essential commodities.
Like previous occasion, TCB will start selling commodities in the capital and divisional headquarters one month ahead of the holy month, TCB sources said.
It will also start selling commodities in open truck in the capital before the holy month Ramzan.
Gram, soybeen oil, lentil and sugar will be sold under the TCB’s commodity sale programme this year.
In the last fiscal year, the ministry of commerce directed the TCB to procure 50,000 tonnes of sugar, 21,000 tonnes of edible oil, 10,000 tonnes of lentil and 2,000 tonnes of gram from local and international tenders to keep the commodity market stable.
