JS body for subsidy to rein in price

Star Online Report

Government should provide subsidy if necessary to arrest skyrocketing price of food items and essentials, a parliamentary body suggested Tuesday.
Expressing deep concern over the present trend of price hike of essentials and other food items, the parliamentary standing committee on commerce ministry, which is headed by ruling Awami League MP Tipu Munshi, also formed a five-member sub-committee to work on strengthening the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
The sub-committee has been asked to submit recommendations on how to make the state-run organisation effective to keep the market stable.
The parliamentary committee recommended for a special allocation of Tk 1,000 crore for TCB so that it can import essential items to keep the market stable.
"We have recommended that the government should provide subsidy, if necessary, to arrest skyrocketing price of essentials," ABM Abul Kasem, chief of the watchdog, told reporters after the meeting at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.
Kasem, also a ruling AL lawmaker, said people do not want to hear or understand that price of daily commodities are also high in other countries like in our country.
"They [people] just want that price of essentials will be within commoners' purchasing capability," he added.
Lawmakers in the committee opined that the TCB can do a lot regarding keeping the market of essential products stable.
They also expressed dissatisfaction over the 'poor' performance of TCB to this end, meeting sources told The Daily Star.
The committee also discussed on making the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate 'truly effective' to ensure consumer rights.
The committee was informed that activities of the consumer rights protection directorate will be strengthened as the government has moved to form consumer rights protection committee in all the districts.