Govt fails to control commodity market!

Mahfuja Mukul: The price of goods is increasing by leaps and bounds. The government can’t control it in any way. Several times the government fixed the prices of various products, but the traders did not pay heed. A further rise in commodity prices has put further pressure on the lower and lower middle class. As a result, they have to make cuts in the market list. Most of the people are expressing their anger at abnormal market rates. Consumer complaints that the government has completely failed to control the price of goods. Meanwhile, the government fixes the fixed price to keep the price affordable.
On September 14, the Ministry of Commerce issued a directive to sell eggs at Tk 12 per piece, potatoes at Tk 35 to Tk 36 per kg and onions at Tk 65 per kg. But no one obeys the government’s instructions.On the contrary, these products are being sold at higher prices.
Basabo, Mothertek raw market of the capital was visited on Friday, it was seen that per kg of desi onion is being sold at Tk 110 and Indian onion at Tk 100. The price of each piece of egg is kept at Tk 15. Depending on the quality and size of eggs, one has to buy Tk 55 to Tk 60 per hali of egg. On the other hand, although there is a directive to sell potatoes at the rate of Tk 35 per kg at the retail level, potatoes are being sold at the rate of Tk 60 per kg. Refined open sugar is being sold at Tk 145 per kg increased by Tk 15. Packaged sugar is supposed to be sold at Tk 135 per kg but it is being sold at Tk 160 per kg increased by Tk 25.
On the other hand, several markets in the capital have also seen that soybeans are being sold at Tk 180 per kg, an increase of Tk 26 from the price set by the government. Consumers are expressing their anger due to the rampant prices of everything in the market. Many of them are blaming the government for this market condition.
Ahmed Kabir, an official of a private company who came to the market, said, what can I say, we have nothing to say. We have no choice but to die. Did the government set the price and did not give it, are the traders waiting? If the price increases, they immediately increase the price, but if the price decreases, they do not decrease. The government is unable to do anything. The ghost of the syndicate is not leaving behind. I hear Syndicate in everything.
Another buyer named Ronak said, now do not come to the market with a list. Don’t buy anything for the whole month. I would live if I could stop eating at the price of everything. I can’t do that either. He further said, we want the government to play an effective role. The way isolated monitoring and operations are conducted does nothing. The masterminds of the syndicate must be caught. Only then the common people can eat and live.
Meanwhile, traders say that they cannot buy anything at a low price. Everything has to be bought at a high price. So, if you want to sell it at retail, you have to sell it at a little higher price. It is not possible to reduce the price at the consumer level if the price is not reduced.
When asked why eggs are not being sold at the fixed price set by the government, Jasim Uddin, an egg seller in Hatirpool market, said, “We bought eggs at Tk 12.50 per piece.” Some of these eggs are broken or spoiled. As a result, it is not possible to sell below Tk 15. Buying a dozen of eggs for Tk 155, you have to make some profit. If we could buy at a lower price, we could sell at a lower price. We really have nothing.
In response to another question, the onion seller Gazi Anwar said, I bought local onion for Tk 100 per kg in the wholesale market. We are selling at Tk 110 per kg at a profit of Tk 10. Those who are demanding do not give goods at a low price, how can we give? They are syndicated. They increase the price by keeping stock. On the other hand, the price of coarse rice has increased in the market.
Shahabuddin of Sajib Rice Agency in Segunbagicha market told the media that the price of coarse BR 28 rice has increased by Tk 1.50 to Tk 2.00. Due to this, the price of Swarna Pyjam rice has also increased. Now BR 28 is selling at Tk 54-55, which was Tk 52-53. However, narrow rice miniket and Nazirshail are being sold at Tk 68-72 and Tk 72-75 respectively, he said.
Similarly, the price of broiler chicken in the market increased by Tk 10 per kg and was seen to be sold at Tk 200-210. Hasanuzzaman, a shopper in Shantinagar market, said that a week’s market is not possible even for one and a half to two thousand taka. What kind of situation is it? The prices of all products are increasing as if competing, not only the income is increasing. How will the family run? He said that the government is not able to control it even by fixing the price. On the contrary, the prices of those products are increasing faster. So, the government has gone out of control?
Meanwhile, for a few weeks now, potatoes and vegetables are not being sold below Tk 80 per kg in the retail market. Most of them are selling for a hundred rupees or more. On the other hand, the price of farmed fish has now increased from Tk 20 to Tk 50 per kg. And the price of native fish is skyrocketing, being sold at Tk 100 to Tk 200 per kg more than before.
Sellers of the vegetable market say that the vegetables are rotten to eat. Supply disruptions are a major reason for price hikes.
It has been seen in the market that round eggplants are being sold at Tk 120-140 and long eggplants at Tk 80-100. Bitter gourd, kachumukhi, barabati, tomato is being sold at Tk 100-120. And it has been seen that dhras, patal, shrimp, chichinga are sold for Tk 80-100. Among the low prices, radish is Tk 50-60 per kg and papaya Tk 40-50 per kg.