Commerce Ministry to launch app for monitoring prices real time

People buy vegetables from a market in Dhaka, Bangladesh, 20 April 2020Reuters file photo

The Commerce Ministry has decided to launch a real time app for monitoring import, production, and marketing of essential commodities to keep their prices stable, reports UNB.

AHM Shafiquzzaman, Director General of Directorate of National Consumers’ Right Protection (DNCRP) and additional secretary of the Commerce Ministry announced the decision at a seminar on monitoring market and prices during Ramadan at Chattogram.

He said the government is strictly monitoring at all levels aiming to keep the supply normal and prices stable. “Monitoring at mill level has also been strengthened,” he added.

The DNCRP Director General further said no problem should arise regarding supply and prices of goods if the Chattogram port and Khatunganj wholesale market work normally.

The business representatives at the meeting said that the government should keep the supply chain, from millers to wholesale and retail level, uninterrupted to keep the supply of goods, stocks and prices normal, market monitoring should be continued, price list of sale and purchase should be displayed in every store, transportation of goods should be kept uninterrupted.

They also said necessary steps like removal of 13 tonnes obligation on Dhaka-Chattogram highway, adjustment of tariff in case of increase in price of goods in international market, adjustment in case of increase in value of dollar, removal of complication in issuing of Import Permit (IP), no excessive penalty for mistake in will also have to be taken including rational determination of dividends at import, miller, wholesale and retail level.