TCB has no plan to raise products’ quantity

The government is not planning to increase the quantity of subsidised products sold through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh anytime soon, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday.

“Every family card holder is given a package of essentials for a month at Tk 420.  It is not possible to increase the quantity of products at will,” Tipu said at the opening ceremony of TCB’s monthly product sales programme at Agargaon in the capital.

“However, the matter is under our consideration,” he added.

The commerce minister said the government had to pay Tk 5,200 crore in subsidy to provide essentials at 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, the minister informed.

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.

Minister Tipu said for now the essentials will be regularly distributed under the programme once every month to ensure that the poor do not suffer.

Speaking about allegations of irregularities in the programme, he said, “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.”

Tapan Kanti Ghosh, commerce secretary, and Brigadier General Md Ariful Hassan, chairman, TCB were present as special guests in the opening ceremony.