Rice at Tk 15 per kg from September 1

The government is set to sell rice at Tk 15 per kg across the country for the households that are needy under the Food Friendly Programme (FFP) from September 1.

Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder came up with the information while talking to the reporters at his Bangladesh Secretariat office in the capital on Sunday (August 14).

Confirming that the government has an adequate amount of rice stockpiled for the rest of the year, the minister said the government has also decided to allocate two tonnes of rice instead of a single tonne to all 2,013 registered dealers under the open-market sales (OMS) programme.

Under the FFP scheme, which was launched in 2016, at least five million beneficiaries across the country can buy 30 kg of rice a month in March, April, September, October and November at the heavily subsidised set price. The government issues ration cards to the families for distribution.

“I hope the re-introduction of the FFP and OMS will bring down the soaring prices of rice a little,” Sadhan said.