Increase the quantity of TCB commodities

The prices of almost all essential commodities are high and still soaring, making it difficult for the common people to meet their daily needs. Queues behind the TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) trucks are growing day by day. The TCB sells daily essentials at subsidised prices, and it is the last resort for many low- and middle-income families.

The essential commodities market has long been volatile, and the government efforts so far have proved futile to stabilise the prices of essential commodities. Consumers are reeling under the pressure of rising prices of almost every item, forcing them to be extremely thrifty when purchasing commodities.

Many small businesspersons-entrepreneurs are in deep crisis. These helpless people have received very little help from the government. The line of buyers behind TCB’s trucks is getting longer and longer. Although it started selling in the morning, all the products are being sold by 12 pm.

Even then, the line of buyers does not end. But in a country with a per capita income of 2,591 US dollars, such a scenario is uncomfortable.

To lessen the suffering of the poor and marginalised people, the state-run agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) sells some essential commodities at a fair price. TCB is supposed to play a key role in keeping prices of essential commodities stable for the poor and marginalised people. But is TCB successful in helping the hapless ones?

Meanwhile, the government is not planning to increase the number of subsidised products sold through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh anytime soon. It came as a double whammy for millions of people with limited income.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi recently said that every family cardholder is given a package of essentials for a month at Tk 420. It is not possible to increase the quantity of products at will.

Isn’t it better to scale up the authorities’ capacity when a huge number of people are feeling the pressure of inflation?

The government had to pay Tk 5,200 crore in subsidy to provide essentials at a low-cost to one crore people in the last one year. Under the newly launched TCB sale programme, more than three essentials, including pulses, edible oil, and sugar, will be given to one crore families across the country with family cards once every month.

Low-income people, especially day labourers, rickshaw-pullers, drivers or housemaids, used to come to buy daily essentials at low prices earlier. But now middle-class people are also crowding to buy products standing in queues, mounting pressure on the sellers.

Currently, TCB is selling two litres of oil, two kg of lentils, and one kg of sugar as part of a package at Tk 420. The price of TCB edible oil has been fixed at Tk 110 per litre, lentils at Tk 70 per kg, and sugar at Tk 60 per kg.

People have crowded in various places for TCB’s products. There has never seen such a long line in the past. There were 60 to 70 people waiting in front of some trucks. Many women were standing in queue helplessly with their school-going children. None of them were below the poverty line earlier. As many people are crowding in front of trucks and shops, not all of them are getting the products.

There are allegations that two to three family cards have been given to some families. These cards are being digitised. Then there will be no more than one card in one family.

In this situation, the government should increase the supply of goods through TCB several folds. In fact, those who lost their jobs and livelihoods and were in deep financial crisis, needed to be provided with free essentials as much as possible, but the government did not do that. In that case, OMS (Open Market Sale) products are their only hope. This will reduce the suffering of the people.