DNCRP to launch drives against spiralling hilsa prices

News Desk :
The Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection (DNCRP) will soon launch operations to control the high prices of hilsa in the market.

Besides, the government agency will also hold a meeting with fish traders in addition to campaigns in markets regarding the spiralling hilsa prices, said DNCRP Director General AHM Safiquzzaman said during a debate on market monitoring organised by the Debate for Democracy on Thursday.

He said, “The price of hilsa has increased too much. Hilsa is a gift of nature.

No one cultivates them, no one feeds them. In other words, there is no cost in producing hilsa.

The cost is only for catching and transporting.

“Farming rui-katla requires spending a lot of money for feeding.

However, the price of hilsa is 5-6 times more than those fish. We will work on it soon.”

The DNCRP is also planning to introduce app-based market monitoring.

“Initially, the daily oil and sugar production data of major refineries – how much product is being supplied to a district from mills, whether the supplied product is reaching that district at all, or has gone somewhere else in between- will be monitored through these apps,” said Shafiquzzaman

The apps will also have information regarding the country’s daily demand for oil and sugar and check if the required amount is entering the market from the mill.

The DNCRP chief said after the organisation began to take action, the price of green coconut ]started to decrease.

Recently, green coconut prices peaked at Tk200 as demand for the fruit increased amid dengue infections.

“Now green coconut prices have come down to Tk120-130,” Shaiquzzaman said, adding that he expects it to come down to Tk100 soon.

Meanwhile, speaking as chief guest at the event, President of Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) Ghulam Rahman said traders are not satisfied with low profits now.

“Inflation has now transformed into ‘greed inflation’ due to their greed for excessive profits,” he said.

“The increase in the price of goods has made the life of the lower class and middle class miserable.

People’s savings have bottomed out or run out.

They are taking loans. People are suffering.

Traders are no longer satisfied with low profits. Excessive profit, excessive greed of traders is the reason for the increase in market rates.

“Businessmen have become Frankensteins.

They have to be stopped with a strong hand.”