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Dollar surge makes imported items costlier
FE Report
3/11/2006
A continuous surge in the value of US dollar against the local currency has made the imported commodities costlier in the local markets.
Prices of major imported consumer items including powdered milk, edible oil, sugar and lentil have risen sharply putting pressure on the consumers belonging to the limited income group.
Traders said the prices of the imported powdered milk in the local markets rose by 15 to 20 per cent over the last week.
A wholesale trader said a 400-gram Dano powdered milk packet was selling at Tk 140 in the past week compared with Tk 122 previously.
A 400-gram Cerelac packet, a baby cereal, was selling at Tk 175 against its previous rate at Tk 145.
Traders said a packet of half a kilogram of Diploma powdered milk was selling at Tk 160 against Tk 150 during the last week.
The price of sugar, however, unchanged at Tk 52-Tk 54 per kg. Its price has reached the level from around Tk 30 over the past few months.
The price of lentil also remained unchanged at its previous high rate at Tk 52 per kg, traders said.
On the other hand, the TCB officials have been selling sugar at Tk 42 per kg and lentil at Tk 40 per kg.
Edible oil of different brands in five-litre containers was selling at Tk 265-270, unchanged from the previous week.
Prices of coarse varieties of rice were unchanged at Tk 16.30-Tk 17.20 at the wholesale level, and at Tk18.0-Tk 19.0 per kg at the retail market.
At the retail level, finer varieties of rice were selling between Tk 22 and Tk 28 per kg over the past week.
Locally produced onion was selling between Tk 10 and Tk 12 per kg, unchanged from the previous week.
Traders said motorshuti was selling at Tk 48-50 per kg, unchanged from the previous week.
Prices of mugh and Khesari dal (two varieties of pulses) remained unchanged at Tk 70 per kg and at Tk 44 per kg, respectively.
Beef and broiler sold at their previous rates between Tk 130 and Tk 140 per kg and between Tk 85-Tk 90 per kg respectively.
Local variety of tomato was selling between Tk 12 and Tk 14 per kg compared with its previous rates between Tk 22-Tk 24 per kg.
Prices of brinjal remained unchanged at Tk 12-Tk 14 per kg and green chilli at Tk 15-16 per kg.
A medium sized cauliflower was being sold at Tk 8.0 per piece, unchanged from the previous week.
Prices of bitter gourd and potato remained unchanged at Tk 14 - Tk15 per kg and at Tk 10 per kg, respectively.
One kg packet flour was selling between Tk 19 and Tk 20 per kg while its two kg packet was selling between Tk 38 and Tk 40 in the city markets over the last week, unchanged from the previous week.
The traders said eggs were selling at Tk 48 per dozen, unchanged from previous level.
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