The government has said it is firm about keeping the supply chain of essential commodities and other goods stable during the general holidays, and as well as during the upcoming month of Ramadan. During the time, all concerned have been instructed to keep up the supply and storage of all kinds of goods normally at any cost. They have been also asked to ensure uninterrupted normal storage and supply of goods, including rice, pulses, oils, onions, and sugar.
For this, businessmen, law enforcement agencies, and four intelligence agencies have been asked to work in coordination with the district and Upazila administration, according to PMO sources. Sources said to halt the pandemic coronavirus spread in the country, the government has announced general holidays till April 11. In this situation, public transport and all means of transport is out of operation. All people have been asked to stay at home. Some people fearing the situation have stocked essentials while most people cannot.
However, the government has said, there is no crisis of essentials in the country. No one needs to stock additional food. The government itself is committed to keeping supply stable. In the meantime, the transportation of goods across the country is being disrupted due to a crisis of goods-carrying trucks. As a result, rice price is increasing, vegetables are rotting, due to lack of buyers while prices of poultry and poultry goods including eggs and meat are decreasing, poultry farmers are unable to sell milk.
Emergency food items cannot be shipped to remote areas from the capital. Similarly, essential commodities from different regions of the country are not being brought to the capital. Concerned people are saying if this situation continues, it will be harder to keep the supply chain stable in the country. They are saying, demand for goods goes high during Ramadan and Eid. Thus, the government is also emphasizing keeping normal supply of commodities in the market at any cost.
The government has called to strengthen TCB’s activities further. It has also asked to strengthen all types of activities under the Social Safety Net programs. Gradually all types of vehicle movement will be opened. This will open the way for ordinary people to earn. The supply of goods will be normal. It is also planning to increase intelligence monitoring everywhere including the market.
Commerce Minister, Tipu Munshi recently at a program at the secretariat office said, “The government is monitoring the market management. We will be ready to do whatever is required. Ramadan, Shab-e-Barat, and Eid will increase the demand for all kinds of goods, and there is also an initiative to increase supply”.
Meanwhile, the country’s poultry industry is facing a loss of Tk 1150 crore. The loss has been estimated by the poultry association until April 4. The Fisheries and Livestock Ministry has decided to introduce a control room to address the ongoing crisis that broke out in the country’s livestock sector. Immediate measures will be taken to ensure production, supply, and marketing of poultry products, milk, and milk products, meats and fisheries resources through the hotline of the control room.
Fisheries and Livestock Minister, SM Rezaul Karim on Thursday said as per the suggestion of the World Health Organization (WHO), people have to take nutritious food to increase the capacity of the human body’s immune system to prevent coronavirus.
So, he said, the Fisheries and Livestock Ministry has taken various measures to ensure the normal supply of the sources of protein – milk, eggs, fishes and meat – to tackle the ongoing crisis.
