Green chilli imports will begin on Monday, Agriculture Minister Mohammad Amin Ur Rashid has said, expressing hope that the price of green chillies will come down to a tolerable level within the next two to five days.
He expressed the hope while speaking to journalists during a visit to the Shantinagar kitchen market in the capital on Sunday. Commerce Minister Khondkar Abdul Muktadir, State Minister for Food Md Abdul Bari and Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam were present.
During the visit, the ministers spoke with buyers and sellers at the market to check on the supply and prices of essentials and the overall market situation.
After the visit, the agriculture minister told journalists that the government had taken swift steps to keep the price of green chillies stable.
He said the existing tax on green chilli imports was being reduced and permission for imports had been given. Import operations would begin from Monday, he said, expressing hope that the price would fall to a tolerable level within two to five days.
Commerce Minister Khondkar Abdul Muktadir said the government would take all necessary measures to keep the market tolerable for consumers.
Addressing journalists, he said: “Report objectively to the public what you see on the ground. This will make people aware, reduce confusion and ensure that no one gets the chance to create an artificial crisis or manipulate prices in the market.”
Earlier, the commerce minister, the agriculture minister and the state minister for food attended a meeting at the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce to review the overall market situation for essential and daily necessities (food and agriculture) and decide on measures. They then went from there to inspect the Shantinagar kitchen market in person.
Those concerned expressed hope that the government’s initiative would keep the supply and prices of daily essentials stable and bring relief to ordinary consumers.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report