The interim government is set to form a task force to monitor the market to contain the soaring prices of essential commodities that continue to rise, much to the sufferings of the people.
“The task force will be on the field soon,” Asif Mahmud, youth and sports adviser, wrote on his verified Facebook timeline.
“Even after making many products duty-free, there was no impact on the market due to the syndicates. The process of forming the task force to monitor the market is underway,” he wrote.
The prices of daily essentials including rice, eggs, broiler chicken, soybean oil, palm oil, sugar and vegetables have increased significantly. The government on September 15 fixed the prices of egg and chicken at production, wholesale and retail levels to control the market.
On September 5, it also withdrew the tax on importing onion to ease high market prices and reduced the duties on imported potatoes and pesticides.
Many allege that steps taken by the interim government to tame the price hike of essential items has fallen flat as a section of traders are busy making fast buck, not giving a damn about the consumers’ interest.
Syndicate continues to line their pocket by selling eggs and chickens at high rates, defying the prices fixed by the government.
Market insiders say that the syndicate pockets about Tk 10 crore per day by selling eggs and chicken.
The price of each egg was Tk 10.58 at production level, Tk 11.01 at wholesale level and Tk 11.87 at retail level while broiler chicken price was set at Tk 168.91 at production level, wholesale level at Tk 172.61 and consumer level at Tk 179.59.
Egg market insiders say that the country has a demand for four crore eggs every day. Cashing in on the demand, the vested quarter pockets about 6.5 crore per day by selling eggs at higher rates.
The price of sonali chicken price was fixed at Tk 260.78 at production level, Tk 264.57 at wholesale and Tk 269.64 at consumer level.
Against the backdrop, a dozen of egg was being sold at Tk 165 while varieties of broiler and sonali chicken sold at Tk 190 and Tk 280 per kg respectively.
Poultry traders say that the country has a demand for 3,500 tonnes of chicken per day.
About Tk 4 crore is being taken away every day by selling chickens, they claim.
