The retail price of sugar in the capital was yet to come down on Monday to the level set by the government, while soya bean oil was being sold at the government-set price where it was available.
On Monday, it was found that some retailers in the capital were selling sugar at a price higher than Tk 65 per kilogram set by the government.
For instance, a number of grocers in Azimpur area were selling sugar at Tk 75 per kg.
'I had to procure sugar at Tk 73 a kg from the wholesalers at Babubazar just after the Shab-e-Barat. How can I sell that stock at Tk 65 per
kg?' said Nurul Islam, owner of N Islam Traders at Azimpur.
Most of the retailers in the city's Polashi Bazar claimed they had no sugar in stock.
Some of them admitted that they stopped selling sugar after the government had set its retail price as they had to procure it at a price higher than the government-set wholesale price.
'If I buy sugar at Tk 64 per kg from wholesalers at Moulvibazar and add the carrying cost to it, my procurement cost would amount to Tk 65. So, I have not procured any sugar yesterday,' said Ruhul Amin, a grocer at Polashi Bazar, on Monday.
But, the retailers at Hatir Pul Bazar were found selling sugar at Tk 65 per kg on the day. There was a price chart hanging in front of a shop that read the retail price of sugar was Tk 65 per kg, soya bean oil Tk 109 per litre, and palm oil Tk 99.
Distributors in the city said the Deshbandhu Group had been supplying sugar to them since Saturday at Tk 60 per kg.
They claimed some of the refiners were charging them more than the government-set mill gate price of sugar, while a section of the millers was even making it mandatory for them to buy other goods at high prices along with sugar.
Aminul Islam, a distributor at Karwan Bazar, claimed that the Meghna and Monem groups were selling sugar at mill gate at Tk 62 per kg, which is Tk 4 more than the government-set price.
The retailers who will buy sugar from them may not be able to sell it at the government-set price, said Amin, adding that the government should ensure that sugar was sold at mill gate at the price set by it.
Nur-e-Alam Liton, a distributor of the City and the Deshbandhu groups, said the City Group had been offering to sell sugar to them since Saturday but it had been forcing them to procure soya bean oil and flour along with sugar.
'It had not sold any sugar to the distributors who declined to procure oil and flour along with it,' said Nur-e-Alam, adding that the price of flour it charged was Tk 2 more than that of flour of the same quality he had been selling.
He claimed the City Group had been making up for the loss incurred from selling sugar at the government-set price by force-selling flour at a high price.
Reports from Chittagong, on the other hand, said there was no sugar in Khatunganj, the country's biggest wholesale hub, with the traders claiming that the distributors had not supplied sugar to them for the last few days.
But, some of the traders admitted that they stopped selling sugar as they did not want to incur loss by selling the essential sweetener at a price lower than its procurement cost.
The commerce ministry on Monday asked the Dhaka City Corporation to ensure that a price chart of sugar and edible oils was put on display at every market in the capital.
Sugar price began to come down in the capital after the businessmen on Sunday had assured the prime minister of supplying sugar at the government-set price.
Later on the day, the High Court directed the government to take the necessary steps to stop illegal hoarding of sugar and soya bean oil.
The court also directed the government to make sure that sugar was retailed at no more than Tk 65 a kg and soya bean oil at Tk 109 or less per litre.
Source : New Age
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