Food, commerce, agriculture ministries to jointly work to check commodity price

Amid the skyrocketing price hike, the food, commerce and agriculture ministries are joining a force to collectively work in a bid to control the prices of essential commodities across the country.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder said this while addressing a press conference after emerging from a meeting in this regard on Tuesday.

“We food, commerce and agriculture ministers reached a decision to work together and from now on, we will collectively take measures to keep the price of food items, including rice under control,” he said.

He said that the three ministries will take stringent measures so that no one can increase the process of daily essentials through market manipulation.    

From now on, the millgate price must be clearly written on paddy and rice bags and the government will take legal action if anyone does not comply with it, he said.  

“If necessary, we will lodge cases against the rules violators under the Speedy Trial Act,” warned the food minister.

Participating in the press conference, Ahsanul Islam Titu, state minister for Commerce, said that the three ministries will jointly work to streamline the country's market management system to ensure the supply of products according to the demand.

There is an adequate supply of products in the market, so there is no reason for raising the prices of essential items during the month of Ramadan, he said.

“We will ensure stricter vigilance so that the consumers do not face any problem relating to the price spiral of essentials during Ramadan,” he assured.   

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to visit the commerce ministry tomorrow and the ministry will fix tariffs after reducing import duty on sugar, edible oil and dates before the arrival of the prime minister, he said.