Traders on Saturday called for providing equal opportunity to small and medium importers in importing essential commodities to lessen dependence on a few corporate companies.
They also suggested maintaining a stable supply chain to keep the prices of all kinds of daily commodities, including edible oil, sugar, flour, pulses and spices, within the reach of people, according to a press release issued by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
In a meeting of the FBCCI standing committee on essential food items at the FBCCI office in the capital Dhaka on the day, the businesses also demanded strict monitoring of the hoarding of essential commodities in addition to removing the complications related to imports.
FBCCI president Mahbubul Alam said that the FBCCI had already requested government high ups to prevent the hoarding of daily commodities, including sugar and spices.
鈥榃e have also discussed taxes and VAT with the government, we are hoping to get positive results,鈥� he said.
The FBCCI president called upon the businesses of this sector to take informed views on the problems and ways of solving the commodity market.
FBCCI senior vice-president Md Amin Helaly said that instability on the country鈥檚 market could be created due to various reasons.
鈥榃e have to come out of this situation,鈥� he said.
鈥楨veryone should change their point of views to change the current situation. Controlling the market will not be possible without government-private joint ventures, including traders,鈥� he said.
In the open discussion, participants suggested the creation of a database based on the demand, production, stock and supply of daily commodities.
They also urged the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh to directly import the necessary commodities instead of depending on corporate companies for social security programmes.
They proposed reopening the closed sugar mills under public-private initiative to increase the capacity of the TCB.
They also suggested strengthening the border surveillance to stop the smuggling of daily commodities.
The meeting was presided over by Md Golam Mowla, president of the Bangladesh Wholesale Edible Oil Business Association.
FBCCI director and president of the聽Bangladesh Spice Traders Association Md Enayetullah, among others, was present in the meeting.
