Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday said that the recent price hike of daily commodities in line with the increased fuel price is rational.
“Otherwise how the government will get money?”, he said while talking to the journalists after presiding over a virtual meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday.
“The recent price hike of daily essentials is completely rational”, he said, adding that, “The government is only collecting revenue for earning. But still the government is trying its level best to adjust the prices.”
Although the consumers will have to bear the consequences of the upward trend of fuel prices in some extend, but the government did not hike the fuel prices, the minister said.
“I admit that rising prices of commodities is inflicting general people with immense sufferings.”, he said.
But people have to realise how much the government is also bearing the subsidies, he added.
On November 3, Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) raised the prices of diesel and kerosene at the retail level – to be effective from zero hours on 4 November 2021.
The price hikes of diesel and kerosene came at a time when prices for daily necessities were already exhibiting an upward trend.
Compared to the corresponding period of FY21, prices of several commodities shot up in November 2021 (based on TCB data).
