Finance and commerce adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Sunday said that syndicates must be stopped from controlling the supply chains to check the price spiral of essentials.
An item alone at Karwan Bazar, one of the biggest wholesale hubs of essential kitchen items in the capital, exchanges four hands, he said while talking to reporters at the ministry of commerce in the afternoon.
Comparing the process to presumptive taxes he said that such activities must be stopped immediately.
Salehuddin Ahmed on Sunday attended office for the first day after his appointment as the commerce adviser.
He also holds the post of adviser to the finance ministry under the interim government formed on August 8 after the fall of the autocratic Sheikh Hasina regime on August 5.聽聽聽聽
The finance and commerce adviser blamed extortion for the price hikes of essentials leading to the decade-high inflation over the past two years.聽聽
Saying that someone told him that a goods-laden truck had to pay Tk 7,000 in extortion to enter Karwan Bazar, the adviser remarked that dealing with extortionists was not his ministry鈥檚 responsibility.
He added that he would talk to authorities concerned in this regard.
The finance and commerce adviser said that prices of essentials could not be done overnight.
He, however, said steps had already been taken to contain the inflation.
Earlier on the day, the finance adviser held a meeting with Asian Development Bank country director Edimon Ginting at his Economic Relations Division office, said state-owned Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
Salehuddin Ahmed said that the development partners, especially the World Bank and the ADB, were very much positive regarding continuing their operations with Bangladesh.
He said that the ADB and other development partners had assured him of continued cooperation in the development sector in the days to come, reported Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
He also said that the development partners were also keen about spearheading the pipelined projects in line with the priorities of the government.
Asked whether the interim government would press for delaying the graduation from the least developed country status beyond 2026, the adviser said that the issue was very big and a set of conditions were attached to it.
About the demands from the government staff for rations, he said that both the public and private sector employees were equal to him, and the priority of the government was that everyone could lead a decent living,鈥� he added.