Commerce Minister Khondaker Abdul Muktadir has said the subsidy for the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will be brought down to zero within the next four to five years. He said 5.9 million beneficiaries have already been removed from TCB’s list. He made the comments Thursday morning at the launch of TCB’s product sale programme at Karwan Bazar in the capital.
The commerce minister said an imbalance can be observed within the supply chain, which is why the market still lacks stability. He said the subsidised programme currently run by TCB would benefit the country’s people. He said digitising TCB cards would save between 300 and 350 crore taka. Arrangements will also be made so that cardholders are not deprived of receiving goods even if their TCB card is lost or damaged, with the digital system making this service even easier.