VOCTA requests to cancel registration of hoarders
Staff Reporter :
Voluntary Consumers Training and Awarness Society (VOCTA) has requested the Commerce Ministry to cancel the registration of the Karwan Bazar Hoarding Owners’ Association to ensure the rational pricing of perishable goods.
AHM Safikuzzaman, the Director-General of the Consumer Rights Protection Department, conveyed this request in a letter dated March 12 to the Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce.
The letter referred to irregularities observed during monitoring of the supply and pricing situation of essential perishable goods in the wholesale market on March 11.
The Association was asked to explain these irregularities, and Saifur Rahman, the general secretary, appeared before the Consumer Rights Protection Directorate but opted to provide only an oral statement rather than a written one.
The Directorate found Rahman’s oral statements regarding the observed irregularities during market monitoring unsatisfactory.
According to Rahman’s statements, no measures were taken by the committee regarding abnormal price increases of perishable goods before Ramadan.
Instead, an unreasonable stance in favor of price increases was suddenly adopted.
In light of this, and with the aim of ensuring normal supply and rational pricing of perishable goods, the Directorate has requested the cancellation of the Association’s registration, as it is involved in hoarding perishable goods.
The Directorate identified several irregularities, including sales of perishable goods on open roads and in partially hoarded areas during the night by traders lacking trade licenses, transactions conducted by wholesale vegetable sellers/buyers without providing receipts, and hoarding traders/wholesalers not displaying price lists for their products.
Additionally, numerous exchanges of goods between producers and retailers in the vegetable supply chain, involving multiple intermediaries, were observed, leading to price increases for consumers.
In Karwan Bazar, several wholesale buyers whose shops or business credentials cannot be verified were found, and prices of goods were increasing at all levels of the supply chain due to frequent exchanges of goods.
The Directorate noted that applicable laws and regulations regarding the supply and sale of vegetables in hoards were not being followed, and hoarders/representatives were absent during inspections.
The Directorate concluded that hoarding traders/wholesalers demonstrated unwillingness and lack of interest in ensuring uninterrupted supply and rational pricing of perishable goods, as well as compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
Therefore, the Directorate requested the cancellation of the registration of the hoarding traders/wholesalers Association.
On March 11, from midnight to 2 am, members of the law enforcement team, including Bikash Chandra Das, Deputy Director of the Dhaka Division of the National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate, Assistant Directors Abdus Salam and Sohel Chakma, participated in the inspection.
