Citizen's Platform for SDGs, Bangladesh has demanded an increase in supply of essentials under Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) as a recent price hike in the local market has made it harder for the poor and unprivileged to make ends meet.
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, convenor of the platform, came up with the demand at an event in Dhaka on Thursday.
He also urged the government to increase the number of TCB products at the sales points and spread the facility outside Dhaka.
Debapriya, also the distinguished fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), also suggested cutting down tariffs and other taxes to reduce the import costs of the commodities to make it more affordable.
In order to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the citizen’s platform also demanded the government to keep the prices of essential commodities stable in order to maintain the purchasing ability of the poor along with keeping intact their sources of income.
The platform also urged to give special protection to the low-income group.
Debapriya suggested stabilising the exchange rate of Taka against dollar to keep the prices of commodities stable.
He also suggested adjusting the interest rates on loans taken by the poor to lessen their debt burden.
