Govt fixes prices of potato, onions and eggs

Staff Reporter :
Aiming to control the kitchen market, the government has fixed the prices of most essential staple of Bengali hessle egg, potato, and local variety of onion.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Thursday announced the new prices at a press conference in the capital “If the eggs, potatoes, and local variety of onion are not sold at fixed prices, stern action will be taken against the traders responsible,” he said while addressing the press conference at his office at the secretariat.

During the conference, commerce ministry and Ministry of Agriculture secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and Wahida Akter were present.

The price of egg has been fixed at Tk 12 each, while potato at Tk 35-36 a kg and local variety of onion at Tk 64-65 per kg.

“If the price doesn’t decline, eggs will be imported. Four firms have already applied for importing the eggs,” Tipu Munshi said. “At first, small quantities of eggs will be imported. If the price doesn’t decline, import will be raised.”

Commerce minister said after analyzing production cost we have seen that egg, potato, and local variety of onion is being sold at higher price.

So we have fixed the price after discussion with Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

Meanwhile, the commerce ministry set the prices of bottled soybean oil fixed at Tk 169 per liter, unpacked soybean oil at Tk 149 per liter, palm oil at Tk 124 per liter, unpacked sugar at Tk 120 per kg and packed sugar at Tk 135 per kg.

Members of Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection will monitor and enforce the new prices.

The minister said that the prices of many items have increased in the market without any reason. These include important products like potatoes, onions and eggs.

“New TCB cards are being made. We (Ministry of Commerce) made cards for 50 lakh families.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered to make one crore.

The rest will be available soon. Making of cards is in progress,” he said.

The Commerce Minister also said a decision has been taken to export hilsa fish to India. Some 5,000 tonnes of hilsa fish will be exported to the neighbouring country.