TDS Desk:

Subsidised sales of vegetables, onions and potatoes ended last month, and the government would not resume the programme seeing it did not leave a noticeable impact on markets, and the prices of these food items have fallen anyway.

Other traditional subsidised sales, like of edible oil, lentil and rice, would continue for the registered recipients.

The open market sales of ten agricultural food products would stop, said Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in an exchange with reporters after attending a meeting on government purchases at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

On 15 October last year, the special OMS truck sales were launched at 20 spots across the capital to provide vegetables and other agricultural goods at affordable rates to the low-income people amid surging inflation pressures.

In a Tk650 package ten agricultural products including, one dozen eggs and one kilogram each of onions, potatoes and seven vegetable items were offered for sale.

At least 8 lakh people directly benefitted from the truck sales, the finance adviser claimed.

Special sales of vegetables, potatoes, eggs and onions would be stopped as these are having no impact on the inflation trajectory, Salehuddin Ahmed said, when asked why the sales have been stopped.

He also noted that the market rates of rice has haven somewhat fallen, while prices of other food products have also come under control. Recent VAT hikes have not significantly added to the inflation crisis, and would be continued in the next fiscal year starting 1 July.