The country's businesses have urged the government to strengthen market monitoring during the holy month of Ramadan with a view to keeping the prices of essentials stable and protecting the consumers' interests.
They also suggested the government increase the number of monitoring teams aiming to intensify drives in kitchen markets during the month of fasting.
They also recommended the government identify and narrow the gap between the demand and supply of essential commodities in the market.
Apart from other government agencies/departments, the ministry of commerce (MoC) has now only 14 teams for market monitoring at kitchen markets in the capital.
Talking to the FE, a high official of the MoC admitted that they could not conduct drives at kitchen markets as expected due to an acute shortage of team members.
Besides, shortage of logistics supports including lack of policemen is also hampering the regular market monitoring drive. The MoC has to ask for policemen from the government department concerned ahead of their monitoring drives.
Earlier, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) requested the MoC to strengthen price monitoring cell aiming to keep the prices of essential commodities stable during the month of fasting.
While talking to the FE on Friday, wholesalers at city's Kaptan Bazar suggested the government strengthen the market monitoring drive during Ramadan.
They said there are sufficient stocks of essential commodities in the markets.
They also admitted that a section of unscrupulous traders try to increase the prices of essential commodities during the holy month of Ramadan for their personal/petty interests.
DCCI President Abul Kasem Khan urged the government to increase the number of market monitoring teams in the greater interests of the consumers during Ramadan.
"We hope that the traders would not increase the prices of essential commodities artificially during the holy month of Ramadan, considering the consumers' interests," he told the FE.
