Taskforce formed to control commodity prices

The government has formed a 17-member high-level taskforce to keep prices under control and monitor production, imports, stock, supply, and prices of all daily commodities.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi will serve as an advisor to the committee, which will be led by Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh.

The ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard on Sunday.

The committee will observe the market situation of the basic commodities and recommend the government measures to reduce the prices of essential commodities in the domestic markets.

The move comes at a time when high prices of a number of essential commodities are diminishing the buying capacity of consumers.

The other members of the committee are the chairman of the national board of revenue, senior secretary of the public security division ministry of home affairs, agriculture secretary, food secretary, industries secretary, information and broadcasting secretary, chairman of the trade and tariff commission, chairman of competition commission, director-general of the department of national consumers right and protection, additional secretary ministry of commerce, director-general of DGFI, director-general of NSI, chairman of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, president of FBCCI and a joint secretary in the ministry of commerce.

Earlier on March 13, a meeting held at the cabinet division decided to form a high-powered taskforce to monitor the supply, demand and price situations of essential commodities.