B Mirror Report: The government organization Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would use 450 trucks every day to offer edible oil, sugar, chickpeas, lentils, and dates at discounted prices in honor of the holy month of Ramadan.

400 low-income individuals will be able to buy the goods from each truck. Sales to current cardholder beneficiaries will continue in accordance with the regulations in place at the same time.

At the launch of TCB’s Ramadan truck sales program in the capital’s Karwan Bazar on Tuesday, departing Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashir Uddin made this announcement. TCB Chairman Brig Gen. Mohammad Faisal Azad and Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman were among those in attendance.

The government usually sells essential commodities at subsidised rates through TCB. Speaking at the Sheikh Bashir Uddin said the government provides Tk 4,000 to 5,000 crore in subsidies to TCB annually. Due to ensuring transparency and accountability within TCB, around Tk 1,000 crore in subsidies was saved in a year, meaning the government had to provide nearly Tk 1,000 crore less in subsidies.

He said that, like last year, in addition to TCB cardholders, around 3.5 million extra people will be able to buy TCB products throughout Ramadan, which will help curb market inflation.

Sheikh Bashir Uddin also said there had been widespread irregularities in TCB operations during the previous government’s tenure. As a result, around 5.3 million cards were cancelled and new cards were later issued. Currently, the number of cardholder beneficiaries has exceeded 8 million. He added that soap, tea and several other essential items will be included in TCB’s product list in the future.

TCB said the truck sales will continue for 20 days until March 12 (excluding Fridays and public holidays). Each day, 400 low-income people per truck will be able to buy products at affordable prices. Around 23,000 tonnes of goods will be sold through the trucks. Under this programme, edible oil, sugar, chickpeas, lentils and dates will be available nationwide at prices lower than the market rate.

Chickpeas will be sold at Tk 60 per kg and dates at Tk 160 per kg. Edible oil will cost Tk 115 per litre, sugar Tk 80 per kg and lentils Tk 70 per kg. A consumer can purchase a maximum of two litres of oil, one kg of sugar, two kg of lentils, one kg of chickpeas and up to half a kg of dates (subject to allocation) at a time. Anyone will be able to buy these products from the mobile trucks.

In addition, regular sales for family cardholders will continue as usual. The quantity and price of subsidised edible oil, sugar and lentils sold monthly to cardholding families will remain unchanged. Cardholders will be able to buy oil at Tk 100 per litre, sugar at Tk 70 per kg and lentils at Tk 60 per kg. Chickpeas will cost Tk 60 per kg and dates Tk 160 per kg.

Every day, 50 trucks will operate in Dhaka Metropolitan area, 20 in Chattogram Metropolitan area, and 15 each in seven other metropolitan areas. In the remaining 55 districts, five trucks per district will operate, making a total of 450 mobile trucks nationwide selling these products.