Consumers’ right group urges govt to continue subsidies in agriculture, power despite pressure from IMF

Voluntary Consumers Training and Awareness Society (Vocta), a consumers’ right group, has urged the government to continue providing subsidies in agriculture and power sectors despite pressure from the IMF and take effective steps to curb inflation and resist business syndicates that control the market system.

The leaders of the Vocta also advised the government to increase revenue without putting pressure on consumers in the upcoming budget.

Executive Director of the organisation Md. Khalilur Rahman Sajal made the demands at a press conference at National Press Club on Sunday.

In the press conference, the Vocta placed 19-point recommendations to make coming the national budget for 2024-25 fiscal year more people-oriented.

The recommendations include strengthening the market monitoring to check profiteering of unscrupulous business groups, taking action against market syndications and expanding the open market of TCB’s subsidized products to facilitate low income people.

Reducing the price of essentials, keeping the import duties and taxes on daily commodities including rice, pulses, sugar and edible oil at a tolerable level and increasing the duty-tax on the consumables of the rich including luxury goods are among the recommendations.

The Vocta also demanded for taking measures to prevent the middlemen responsible for the increase in prices of agricultural products, taking measures to mobilize farmers to market directly in the retail market, employment and income-raising measures for the unemployed, continuing cost-saving policies by increasing production and supply in the budget plan.

It is also urged the government to announce in the budget to bring down the price of medicine to a bearable level to prevent the increase in medical expenses.

Vocta Chairman and Dhaka University teacher professor Dr. Hossain Uddin Shekhar, Vice Chairman Sanwar Hossain Nowroz, Director (Finance) Lutfar Rahman Liton, Director Dr. Latiful Bari, Mohsinul Karim Lebu, Saidul Abedin Dollar, Mizanur Rahman Talukder, Fazlul Haque, Noorun Nabi and Gholam Kabir were present on the occasion.

Khalilur Rahman Sajal said that the situation of the consumers in the country has been fragile due to the unbridled increase in commodity prices in the last few years, the increase in the number of unemployed people, the decrease in people’s income, and the syndication by some unethical businessmen. The purchasing power of most consumers is also getting limited.