Dhaka, July 4 (UNB) - Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) on Wednesday launched the sale of packaged sugar at Tk 60 per kilogram in Dhaka city in a bid to keep its market price under control during the upcoming Ramadan.

BSFIC will sell the packaged sugar at two outlets and through two mobile caravans across the city until the fasting month ends to make sure that the market manipulators cannot raise its prices, officials said at the inauguration of the sale programme in front of the BSFIC building.

Speaking on the occasion, Industries Minister Dilip Barua said, “The government is committed to keeping the prices of all essentials, including sugar, within the purchasing capacity of the commoners.”

Citing the experience of 2009, the Industries Minister criticised the quarter among the raw sugar crashers and traders for manipulating its market price.

In 2009, this vested quarter taking advantage of the short supply of sugar by the government manipulated the market forcing the consumers to buy it at Tk 70-80, he recalled.

As a preemptive measure to control the market price of packaged sugar this time, the government has already imported 75, 000 tonnes of sugar raising its stock to 170000 tonnes, he said.

Barua, however, pointed out that government has also raised the price of sugarcane by Tk 26 per maund for the farmers in mill zones.

As a result, he said, the production cost of BSFIC mills has also crossed Tk 80 per kg.

He mentioned that the government is providing the corporation Tk 21 per kg sugar in subsidy for the sale.

The inaugural programme was also addressed by Industries Secretary KH Masud Siddiqui ad BSFIC chairman Mahmudul Haque Bhuiyan.