TIB report on TCB products not based on proper information: Commerce minister

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Wednesday rejected a report of Transparency International Bangladesh's (TIB) on the product sale of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), saying that the report wasn't  prepared based on accurate information. 

The Minister said this at a press briefing on TIB's report at the conference room of  the Commerce Ministry at the Secretariat.

The graft watchdog recently published a report titled "Governance Challenges in TCB's Family Card Programme" where it claimed that the targeted population in many cases did not get the benefit of the scheme due to lack in transparency,  irregularities and corruption.

"Following the Prime Minister's order, TCB is selling daily essentials among one crore family card owners through selected dealers. The products are being sold in a disciplined and timely manner due to the uses of QR codes. In this digitalized process, a person can't buy TCB goods several times as in the past," said the Minister.

Tipu added that the list of family card owners has been prepared through consultation with public representatives and the local administrations.

"We are trying to sell TCB goods among those who need them the most. Family cards are letting people buy TCB goods in a hassle-free and systematic manner. The government is providing 100 percent subsidies to continue selling goods through TCB. Most importantly, family card owners are buying essentials from TCB at their convenience, which wasn't possible earlier," added Tipu

During the briefing, the Minister warned that strict action will be taken against those who'll create anomalies while distributing TCB goods.

Tapan Kanti Ghosh, Senior Secretary of the Commerce Ministry, Brigadier General Md Ariful Hasan, Chairman of TCB and AHM Shafiquzzaman, Director General (DG) of Directorate of National Consumers Right Protection, among others, were present during the briefing.