Starting in November, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will add five new essential items to its product range.
This expansion forms part of an ongoing government initiative to enhance TCB operations, ease the burden on low-income households, and help curb the rising cost of living, according to a recent press release.
The five new items to be introduced are tea, salt, detergent, and two varieties of soap.
The announcement was made by Commerce Adviser Sk. Bashir Uddin during a meeting at the Ministry of Commerce’s conference room in the Secretariat.
The government is currently providing around Tk 5,000 crore in subsidies to support TCB’s operations.
During the meeting, Sk. Bashir Uddin emphasised that the subsidy plays a crucial role in balancing market supply and demand.
He further explained that the addition of these five items, along with the continuation of TCB’s existing sales initiatives, would provide essential relief to the country’s poor and help mitigate inflation.
The Commerce Adviser urged officials to ensure that the selection process for the one crore beneficiaries is conducted efficiently and accurately.
He stressed that the TCB Smart Family Card should be distributed to those who are genuinely in need of government support.
He called for visible progress in identifying the right beneficiaries and activating the cards across the country, including in city corporations, within the next month.
Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman acknowledged that identifying the correct beneficiaries has been a significant challenge in the selection process.
He also pointed out that the pace of work within City Corporations has been slower than expected. However, he expressed confidence that progress would accelerate now that the issues have been recognised.
