Disallow sales of loose soybean oil is anti-people, it must be abrogated

THE government will disallow sales of loose soybean oil from August 1 to ensure sufficient quantity and stop adulteration of the key cooking ingredient in the domestic market.

The ban on sales of loose soybean oil was meant to be implemented in January earlier this year, but it was deferred because of the volatile market situation at home and abroad.

Recently, the industries and commerce ministries both agreed to impose the ban in August. The ban is definitely counter-productive, anti-people, and pro-businesses, thus should be abrogated.

The Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection (DNCRP) informed that the decision has been taken only for soybean oil but the same will gradually be applicable for other edible oil products as well.

Currently, of the total edible oil consumption in the country, 30 per cent is soybean oil and the remaining 70 per cent consists of palm, super palm, and mustard oil.

Some 50 per cent of the soybean oil is sold as loose while the rest is bottled. Much production of edible items such as cookies, pastries, bread, and other bakery items would be pricey and restaurants’ production costs would be increased that eventually cut consumers’ pockets deeply. Meal production costs will increase by the steps and put the marginal communities in a situation of undernourishment.

While the government drastically failed to control food inflation and mere vegetables became costly for the fixed-income group, the ban on loose soybean oil will push ordinary people further and help large conglomerates to earn more by establishing a market monopoly.

A government run by people and working for people cannot opt for such an anti-people stance. We must say, the state must prepare enabling conditions where every citizen has minimum access to nutritious food.

The state should not optimize policy support to businesses by curling people’s interest.