The interim government is going to enhance surveillances to curb market manipulation to check inflation prevailing over a decade high for almost the past two years much to the hardship of fixed and low income groups.
Directives for enhancing the market monitoring are likely to be given from a meeting of finance and planning adviser Salehuddin Ahmed Tuesday at his secretariat office.
He is also likely to give instructions to ease supply chain constraints including stopping extortion during the meeting that will be attended by the National Board of Revenue chairman and secretaries of the ministries of commerce, industry and agriculture.
Meanwhile, the finance and planning adviser at a meeting with the planning ministry officials imposed restriction on fund disbursement against foreign funded mega projects.
He told newsmen that the planning commission had been asked to take permission before disbursement of fund to the foreign鈥揻unded mega projects.
Improper utilisation of foreign funds will not be tolerated, he warned.
Besides, the finance and planning adviser said he also gave directives for stopping wastages of fund by implementation of same type of projects by separate ministries and division.
A person cannot be appointed project director for more than one project, he said.
He asked the planning ministry officials to give emphasis on physical progress of the development instead of financial progress to ensure quality of the development projects.
Salehuddin warned that the decay of surface and creation of potholes on roads within a rainy season was not acceptable.
He informed that the interim government would decide soon whether the length of next national financial plan would be of five years or less.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
Responding to a question whether the interim government would ensure calculation of authentic data, he said that he had already directed officials concerned to collect accurate information.
He also said he did not interfere when the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics officials on Sunday released the inflation update for the month of July that saw the overall inflation jumped to 11.66 per cent.
The inflation in July was higher than the average 10.9 per cent inflation calculated by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics 12 years ago in 2010鈥�11, but lower than the average 12.30 per cent in 2007鈥�08.
The finance and planning adviser said inflation was a headache for the interim government.
Noting the supply chain network was mostly broken amid massive student-led demonstrations leading to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5, he said the interim government wanted quick restoration of the supply chain network of essentials.
The sharp rise in inflation in July has mainly been attributed to food price hikes by 14.10 per cent in the month, almost close to the average 14.11 per cent inflation in 2001鈥�11.
The finance and planning adviser said the interim government would take measure to stop extortions.
He also said they would not allow distress sales by farmers because of manipulation.
He explains that many farmers arriving in a market from suppose 10 kilometres away and are forced to sale their outputs at a low rate because of artificial arrangement by manipulators.
He asked how the price of one kilogram of brinjal hit Tk聽80 in the capital after the same amount was sold at Tk聽6 by growers.