The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) has increased sales price of sugar by 43 percent or Tk 30 per kilogramme (kg) in a bid to contain subsidy bills.

From tomorrow, the state-eun agency will sell the sweetener at Tk 100 per kg along with selling soybean oil, lentil, dates and rice at subsidised rates to one crore TCB cardholder families.

Humayun Kabir, spokesperson of the TCB, told The Daily Star that the amount of subsidies for sugar has increased due to a rise in purchasing prices resulting from a spiral in its rates in global markets and higher import cost for the devaluation of the taka.

"This is why, we have taken the  decision of increasing sales price of sugar," he added.

Sugar is sold at Tk 140-Tk 150 per kg at retail markets in Dhaka at present.

The TCB, however, kept its prices for soybean oil, rice and lentil unchanged. It would sell dates at Tk 150 each kg.