Timely action keeping commodity prices, supply 'stable': Commerce minister
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Tuesday said the government's timely action to control price surge of essential commodities in markets has made it possible to keep the prices stable and supply normal.
"Activities are going on to ensure that any unstable situation is not created in the market in future," the commerce minister said in Parliament while responding to a tabled query of Gonoforum MP Mukabbir Khan.
He said the Ministry of Commerce and the Directorate of National Consumers Rights Protection are doing regular monitoring to prevent instability in the market.
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He said all possible measures including removal of import barriers, reduction of customs duty, normalisation of gas-electricity supply, ensuring speedy clearance at the port, supervision of import of goods in line with LCs opened have been taken to keep the uninterrupted supply of goods in the market.
The National Board of Revenue has been requested to further rationalise the duty rates imposed on sugar and edible oil, the minister added.
The commerce minister said the Ministry of Home Affairs has been informed so that there is no obstruction on the roads while transporting daily necessities.
He said the Bangladesh Competition Commission has been requested to investigate whether there are irregularities or monopolies in the poultry market.
The minister also said the local market price of edible oil and sugar is adjusted from time to time in line with the international market price.
In response to a question from ruling Awami League MP Anwer Hossain Khan, the commerce minister said that due to increase in transport costs, increase of rate of dollar and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the price of imported daily necessities has increased.
"The effect of which is being observed on the price of daily essential products including spicy items," he said.
In response to a question of AL MP Benjir Ahmed, the minister said that in the 2022-23 fiscal, the total trade deficit with regional countries including India, China and Pakistan is $23.77 billion.
Among the SAARC countries, there is a maximum trade deficit of $7.16 billion with India, $466.33 million with Pakistan, $14.29 million with Bhutan and $1.49 million with Afghanistan.
On the other hand, there is a trade surplus with Nepal, Sri Lanka and Maldives.
Bangladesh's trade deficit with China is $15.48 billion.
In response to a question from Awami League MP Ali Azam, Expatriates' Welfare Minister Imran Ahmad said that 11.25 lakh expatriate workers were employed abroad in the 2022-23 fiscal due to the government's effective measures.
In response to a query of AL MP Haji Selim, the Expatriates' Minister said that there are agreements/memorandums of understanding with 18 countries and Hong Kong for the export of manpower.
The 18 countries are Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Libya, Maldives, South Korea, Malaysia, Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Singapore, Mauritius, Cambodia, Greece and Japan.
There are plans to sign agreements/memorandums with other European countries including Malta, Albania, Romania in the future, he said.
