Online Desk: Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Wednesday said the government was taking adequate measures to ensure a sufficient supply of essentials, including dates and keep the market stable during Ramadan.

“All possible measures will be taken so that people can easily buy dates and other essentials ahead of Ramadan,” he said while inaugurating a month-long sales drive of some key essentials at subsidized prices among the 10 million low-income cardholder families at Tejgao in the city.

Senior Commerce Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh and TCB chairman Md Ariful Hassan, among others, were present at the event.

Replying to a question the minister said, “The commerce ministry is not an executive body to reduce the duty on essentials but we can request the National Board of Revenue to cut such duty ahead of Ramadan.”

A total of 10 million TCB cardholders get some key essentials once every month, through 30-truck sales at subsidized rates. The truck is mainly first-come, first-served. Some people go back empty-handed.

The minister said, “We are trying to increase the number of truck sales, aimed at running operations in the country’s large cities, so that more people can be brought under this facility.”

Replying to a question on potato prices roaring, he said, “We gave permission for potato imports, which resulted in a positive impact on the market.”

New potatoes imported from India will be available in the market within the next month, he informed.

However, the minister also disbursed smart cards to some low-income card-holder families during the drive. TCB is conducting a campaign to convert 10 million family cards into smart cards, which is challenging. 2.0 million smart cards will be distributed this month.

In the month-long drive, TCB will sell soybean oil, bran oil, sugar, rice, lentils, and onions. Cardholder families each will buy 5.0 kilograms of rice at Tk 30 per kg in addition to four other commodities every month.

Besides, a cardholder will be able to buy 1.0 kg of sugar for Tk 70, 2.0 kg of lentils for Tk 60 per kg, 2.0 kg of onion for Tk 50 per kg and 2.0 liters of soybean oil for Tk 100.

The local administrations, including Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs), coordinate the TCB sales at the district, upazila and union parishad levels following the list of beneficiaries.