Sugar disappears from Dhaka stores amid high price

Loose sugar was on Wednesday selling in Dhaka markets atTk135 to Tk 140 per kg – much higher than the government-fixed price – citing short supply.

On April 8, the government set price at Tk104 per kg for loose sugar and at Tk 109 for packaged sugar. Consumers, however, complained the ceiling hardly worked.

In the retail market packaged sugar has hardly been available. And even for the loose sugar the consumers have to pay Tk135 to 140 or per kg, up from Tk120 to 125 a kg last week.

On Wednesday, during visits to different markets in the capital this correspondent saw no packaged sugar in the stores. Traders reported no supply of sugar since Eid-ul-Fitr festival late last month.

The wholesale companies have failed to deliver citing short supply.

Importers blame the short supply on the high price of sugar in international market affecting domestic supply.

They are waiting for the government to decide if they would go for import at higher prices. They too have reduced imports due to higher prices.

According to the government agency, Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of sugar increased by 15 percent in a month while it increased by more than 62 percent in one year.

Salmat Sarder of Chadpur Store of Karwan Bazar told UNB that packaged sugar has not been available for a long time. Loose sugar purchased at the wholesale level is more than Tk130 per kg. Still, dealers are not giving purchase receipts.