'TCB to continue truck sales as long as necessary'

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will continue selling essential commodities at subsidised rates through trucks until prices return to a bearable level, said Brig Gen Md Ariful Hassan, chairman of the TCB.

In an interview with The Daily Star, Hassan said the state-run agency had returned to the old method of selling products due to increasing inflationary pressures on low-income people as food inflation in Bangladesh reached the highest level in nearly a decade.

TCB trucks are currently found in 30 spots across Dhaka, with each capable of serving 300 people, he informed, adding that 9,000 people in Dhaka were being provided with four essential commodities at subsidised prices every day, he said.

The cost of living in Dhaka city is higher than in other cities around the country and the capital also has a high floating population. So, for now, initiatives under the sales programme have been taken only in and around Dhaka, Hassan said.

Buyers can purchase up to two kilogrammes (kgs) of lentils, potatoes and onions and two liters of soybean oil from a TCB truck. Onions are being sold at Tk 50 per kg, potatoes at Tk 30 and lentils at Tk 70 per kg while soybean oil is available at Tk 100 per liter.

Each token recipient gets these products for about half of what they would have to pay at a kitchen market.

A TCB official said a total of 72 tonnes of goods were being sold daily through the 30 trucks in Dhaka.

The TCB had stopped selling goods through trucks in the middle of last year to bring discipline in management but continued selling products to one crore family card holders across the country.

It began to sell essentials out of trucks again from November this year.

"It would be great if this volume [of sales] could be increased further. But common people should also understand the side of the government," he added.

Upon visiting several spots where the TCB was ‍selling products, it was observed that many people had to return home empty-handed.

When told about the situation and asked if there were plans to increase the number of sales, the TCB chairman said products were being sold to 10 lakh family card holders in Dhaka city and that another 200,000 people had recently been added to the list through sales via TCB trucks.

He added that since products were being sold at subsidised prices, there would always be strong interest among the people to buy these products. Therefore, it is not possible to meet this demand.

These subsidised products are only for people whose financial condition is not good and those troubled by the increasing costs of living, he said.

In fiscal year 2022-23, TCB sold a total of 72,574 metric tonnes of sugar, 187,022 metric tonnes of lentils, 186,500,000 litres of edible oil, 9,426 metric tonnes of onions, 9,230 metric tonnes of gram and 590 metric tonnes of dates to 1 crore family card holders.

The TCB Chairman informed the total product sales amount for the fiscal year 2023-24 had not yet been determined.

While visiting some spots where TCB products were being sold, it was seen that there were many people who are in no condition to stand in line for a long time -- such as mothers with infant children and elderly citizens -- were braving long queues.

Hassan said: "We have not yet developed that culture. If a woman with a child or an elderly person is standing in line to buy a product, people should give them priority to buy first."

"We cannot sell products with such priorities now because, to do that, you need a different arrangement. That can't be done now," he added.

There needs to be a change in people's thinking. Only then will this problem be solved, he opined.