Dhaka, Oct 15 (V7N): In a bid to keep essential commodities affordable for the public, the Ministry of Finance and Commerce launched the Open Market Sale (OMS) program in the capital on Tuesday. The initiative, designed to offer key food items at reduced prices, was inaugurated by Finance and Trade Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed, who stressed the importance of collective efforts to maintain affordability.

Speaking at the event held at Khaddo Bhaban, Ahmed said, "Our aim is to ensure that consumers can access essential goods at prices within their reach. We need everyone’s cooperation to achieve this."

Lt General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, an adviser on agriculture and home affairs, pointed to market syndicates and urged journalists to investigate and expose cases of extortion. "Syndicates exist at every level of the market. We seek your help in identifying and addressing extortion in the supply chain," he added.

Supported by the ministries of agriculture and food, the OMS program aims to deliver essential items such as eggs, potatoes, onions, and vegetables directly to consumers at fair prices. Despite recent disruptions in vegetable supply due to flooding, Chowdhury expressed hope that prices would stabilize soon.

Sale Details: Under the OMS program, consumers can purchase a package of 10 essential food items for Tk650. The package includes:

  • 5 kg of potatoes at Tk30 per kg
  • A dozen eggs for Tk130
  • 1 kg of onions for Tk70
  • 1 gourd for Tk50
  • 1 kg of pumpkin, bitter gourd, pointed gourd, kachurmukhi (fresh taro), 3 kg of papaya, and 100g of green chilies for Tk250.

Initially, these products will be available at 20 designated locations across Dhaka, including Khaddo Bhaban, Manik Mia Avenue, Mirpur-10, Basabo, Basila, Rayer Bazar, Rajarbagh, and others.

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