The government has assigned 28 teams to monitor and oversee the price trends of key essential items in the city markets, officials said.
However, experts have expressed doubts about the desired outcome of such a move as the formation of previous committees had hardly any visible impact to this effect.
The government intends to closely monitor the price situation with a view to keeping the prices of essentials within the buying capacity of the common people, a high official of the commerce ministry said.
The reconstituted watchdog panels would observe the wholesale and retail prices of essentials in Dhaka city. The teams were formed on March 07, 2021.
During their drives, they would collect the price data and gather information on the stock and supply of essential commodities.
If any abnormal situation arises in the market, the teams would take action against the traders or the businesspeople concerned through on-the-spot mobile courts.
The teams would also take stern action against the manipulators using the existing legal provisions of the country to ensure normal prices of essential items.
They would take necessary steps to keep the prices of essentials stable through discussion with the presidents/general secretaries of respective markets, if necessary.
A total of 28 teams had already formed, each consisting of six members drawn from different ministries, government agencies and business associations, according to the information available with the commerce ministry.
The teams also comprised representatives from the ministries of commerce, agriculture and food, and Export Promotion Bureau, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission, Dhaka City Corporation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Directorate of National Consumer Rights Protection.
The teams formed for the city markets had started their drives from the date of issuance of the order. The drives would continue until June next, according to the order issued on March 07 last.
The MoC additional secretary (IIT) is the coordinator of the market monitoring teams.
The members of the teams would have to report to the MoC every day after monitoring, according to a market monitoring plan.
The prices of key essential items often show a significant rise in the country. But the monitoring teams failed to play their due role in keeping the prices of essentials stable and at tolerable level, a section of consumers alleged.
No visible impact was noticed with regard to the prices of some key items, especially rice, onion and edible oil in recent times despite efforts by the monitoring teams, they said.
"We often sit to evaluate the activities of the teams monitoring the prices of essential items in the capital city. We direct the teams to be more careful about their respective duties and activities throughout the year," a senior official of the commerce ministry told the FE on Tuesday.
The prices of essential commodities remain stable due to steps taken by the government, he claimed.
He, however, admitted that the prices of two or three items might go up for the time being due to various reasons.
