Prices of essentials: Govt doing its best to arrest hike

Two ministers yesterday said the government has been doing its best to control the high prices of essentials, which is the result of global market instability.

Following a meeting of the National Economic Council's Executive Committee, Planning Minister MA Mannan said the market situation will gradually improve due to the government interventions and Value Added Tax (VAT) cuts.

"Any disruption in the world has an impact on our country. The government is trying its best to handle this. Around 800 [mobile shops] of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh are moving across the country, providing essentials to one crore families at lower prices," he said.

Echoing him, state minister for planning Prof Shamsul Alam also said the problem was global.

"We have no room to be depressed. This inflation is not for domestic reasons. Our… vegetable production decreases in the month of Chaitra, but plenty of vegetables are available in the market this season," he added.

The government is tackling the inflation well, he said.

"Many people talk about the long queues behind the TCB trucks, but if TCB products are available at lower prices, people would run after the trucks.

"I have doubts about some newspapers. A leading Bangla daily and an English daily published a photo of someone lying on the road. But she wears a nice sari.

"I want to say that an effort is being continued politically, especially those who are rival political forces or their supporters are out to… take [political] benefits," he said.