People struggle for survival due to the unbridled price hike
THE unbridled price increase of daily necessities in the country’s kitchen market has now taken a terrifying shape.
The prices of basic daily food ingredients such as fish, meat, eggs, pulses, vegetables – everything has skyrocketed.
According to a report published in this newspaper yesterday presents us with a horrifying picture of the country’s daily necessities market.
Low and middle-income families, making a living has now become an uphill battle.
They are struggling to balance their income and expenses. Many of them have to take out loans to make ends meet at the end of the month.
As per the report, the prices of onions, eggs, pulses and vegetables have increased at an abnormal rate.
Even the cheapest vegetable, papaya, is not available for less than 40 taka per kg.
Common buyers in city’s Mirpur and Mohakhali markets have expressed their anger over the abnormal prices of the daily essentials.
Traders say that continuous rains have damaged crops and reduced supply. While this may be one reason, it is not the only one.
Experts say, the main reason for this price increase is the lack of supply, as well as syndicates of traders and lack of government supervision.
Meanwhile, the comment of Md. Khalilur Rahman Sajal, executive director of the organization ‘Bhokta’, which works on consumer rights, is particularly noteworthy here-‘Eggplants that are sold for 60 to 65 taka in Narsingdi are being sold for 150 to 180 taka in Dhaka.
‘This example demonstrates that unreasonable price increases and the abuse of middlemen at various levels of the supply chain are largely responsible for this crisis.
On the other hand, economists like Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri say that bringing transparency in market management is essential to resolve this crisis.
Breaking monopoly at the wholesale level, reducing tariffs on food imports, and strengthening direct marketing channels for agricultural products is the need of the hour.
If these steps are not taken, the prices of food products will remain out of reach of the common man.
If consumers struggle to procure their daily food, social unrest will increase and people’s living standards will collapse.
Regulating the food market is not just a question of economic stability; rather, it is also related to the safety of public life.
Therefore, the government must immediately take effective steps in the daily commodities market, so that at least some relief can be restored to the hectic lives of the common people.