Welcome initiative by TCB

With skyrocketing prices of daily essentials people’s sufferings have mounted exponentially. Price of every essential daily item is now almost beyond the reach of marginalised people. Even middle-class families are grappling with price hikes at regular intervals.

Many families are being forced to restrict themselves to much less budget than what they used to spend on food.

Not only prices of daily essentials have spiked expenditure on everything has also seen a dramatic rise pushing a section of middle-class families below the poverty line. The situation is gradually aggravating with the international economic crisis showing no sign of letting up. Amid manifold crises especially price hike of daily essentials the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has come forward to help the crisis-ridden people with limited incomes. It decided to triple the sale of essential commodities including edible oil, lentil and sugar – at subsidised prices in 2023. This a positive move of the organisation at such a critical time.

The TCB started selling some basic commodities at subsidised rates among ten million families on March 21 this year to mitigate the sufferings of those people who struggle to make ends meet. This initiative will cost the government Tk9840 crore. TCB Chairman Brig Gen MD Ariful Hassan on 25 December told The Business Post: “We used to sell products from trucks openly without a regular schedule and the sale target was determined that way. But now products are being sold through TCB-issued family cards.”

This organised way of selling goods at subsidised prices to low-income people is also an addition to the government initiatives to solidify its move to reach out to those who are unable to continue with their regular lives due to spiraling price hikes. We welcome this well-intentioned initiative of the government and TCB.

Afriful Hassan also said: “A cardholder is getting 5 kg of essential products per month. So, we need to distribute 50, 000 tonnes per month and six lakh tonnes per year. We are keeping aside 20 per cent to deal with various disasters. Overall, the TCB’s operations have intensified more than ever before. It has increased more than three times compared to the previous year.”

So, putting aside 20 per cent stock bearing in mind any kind of unexpected natural calamity or disasters is a reflection of the government’s prudent attitude. We believe that the government will continue to provide this support to the poor to at least help them survive. We hope the number of cardholding families will also be increased in the days to come; otherwise the rate at which people’s buying capacity is dropping it will be difficult for them to cope with life.

Along with sales of basic commodities at subsidized price by TCB the social safety network and other social welfare activities of the government will undoubtedly give this section of people a breathing space.

Such initiatives and moves are not rare in developed and developing countries. The country is going to elevate itself to a developing nation in a short span of time. Once upgraded to a developing nation, the country will be placed in a prestigious position among other countries in the world. But it will be completely meaningless if the large section of working class people and marginalized segments of people pass their days unfed and half fed.

We believe that development will not only reflect the development of a few numbers of people. Of Course, when a nation develops equally in all sector and all human indexes it can become a model country around the globe and inspire others to follow it. We hope others will follow our footsteps not the other way round. Only then our upgrading to a developing nation will bear some meaning to the masses.