TCB building 6 new warehouses for more storage space

Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) is currently in the midst of constructing six additional warehouses in the Chittagong, Sylhet, and Rangpur divisions to increase storage space for the rising demand for buffer stock.

To this end, a project with a budget of Tk 28 crore was undertaken last year to be completed over the course of three years.

Following the completion of the project, TCB will gain 47,000 square feet of warehouse space, which can facilitate the storage of over 10,000 metric tonnes of goods.

According to officials, from March 20, TCB began selling essential goods to one crore low-income families at subsidised rates through the OMS program. This program will continue, with cardholders receiving essential goods every month throughout the year. As a result, TCB will require additional warehouse space in order to increase buffer stock.

According to official data, TCB currently has 15 warehouses, 11 of which are rented. These warehouses have a total storage capacity of 25,298 metric tons. TCB owns four warehouses in Dhaka’s Tejgaon, Chattogram’s Halishahar, and Narayanganj, totalling 15,000 metric tonnes of storage capacity. However, in comparison to the growing demand, this capacity is insufficient.

As a result, the government approved the project last year to construct six warehouses and two offices in order to boost warehouse capacity. Every year, TCB spends almost Tk 43 lakh on warehouse rent.

Speaking on the matter, TCB Executive Engineer Kazi Mahfuzur Rahman said, “The three-year project began last year, and we began construction on the warehouses in January 2022. We are working hard to complete our project as quickly as possible. The warehouses are expected to be finished by December 2023.

“Following the completion of the project, TCB will gain 47,000 square feet of warehouse space, which can facilitate the storage of over 10,000 metric tonnes of goods.”

Two warehouses and one office are being built in Rangpur city. Two warehouses and one office are being built in Moulvibazar in the Sylhet division. Another two warehouses are being built at Bondortilla in Chattogram.

“TCB also has plans to build more warehouses at the end of this project. TCB distributes around one lakh tonnes of goods per month. So they need to increase their storage capacity,” added the TCB official.

An official of the commerce ministry said that the government will start distributing soybean oil, sugar and lentils at low prices to cardholders across the country from June after distributing family cards among the 14 lakh poor people earmarked for the two city corporations in Dhaka and the Barishal City Corporation.

Before Ramadan last year, the government took the initiative to create family cards by compiling a list of one crore families from all over the country.

TCB currently sells soybean oil at Tk 110 per litre, sugar at Tk 55 per kg, lentils at Tk 65 per kg, and grams at Tk 50 per kg.