File Photo
Retailers are forced to sell flour, Mayada and sugar at higher truck
fares, special product prices—everything
Hundreds of trucks were waiting at noon on Thursday
(November 10, 2022) at the truck stand of one of the country's industrial
groups in the Rupsi area of Rupganj, Narayanganj. These trucks are waiting to
pick up sugar from a factory there.
Last November 10, 2022, at two o'clock, the truck drivers who
reached the stand rushed to the booth to collect tokens. Most of those who were
waiting in advance are spending idle time sleeping in the truck. Journalists
spoke to 17 such truck drivers and their associates on November 10, 2022.
One of them is Abdul Qayyum, a truck driver. He came to take
sugar from Kishoreganj on November 4. Until last Thursday, he did not know
exactly when he would be able to return to Kishoreganj with sugar. He has been
sleeping in the truck with his assistant for six days. Eating food at the gate
of the truck stand in hotels. He said, 'Sugar was supposed to be received on October
21. Then came to the mill gate and was informed after waiting for 3 days, sugar
will be available after at least 15 days. Then I went back to Kishoreganj. I am
waiting in front of the gate of the mill after coming to take sugar from
November 4.
The waiting trucks coming from Dhaka's wholesale market or
outside Dhaka have to pay Tk 2 to 3 thousand in compensation for waiting
every day. As the waiting time increases, so does the fare or incidental costs.
And the additional cost falls on the price of the product.
Due to this, the price of flour-flour-sugar is increasing in
the wholesale and retail markets. However, since the fuel crisis intensified,
mills have been accused of selling products at high prices through special
demand orders (DOs). Wholesale buyers say that they have to pay two to three
rupees more per kg for flour, flour and sugar while buying special DO to get
the product quickly.
According to truck driver Abdul Qayyum, the truth of selling products through special demand orders. He said, "Even though we are waiting day after day, the truck carrying the special demand order has returned to its destination loaded with sugar." And we are waiting in the truck day and night. When the mill authorities were contacted last day, they said that it may take another seven-eight days to get the serial of the product. Now there is no way but to wait.
The experience of Md Abdullah, a truck driver who came to
collect sugar from Jhenaidah last Wednesday night, is also close. He said,
according to the demand order or DO, sugar was supposed to be received on
August 7. At that time, after four days of waiting, he was told to come after a
month. Accordingly, after coming in September, it is said to come on November
10. Accordingly, I came yesterday. After showing the paper at the counter at
Millgate, it was said from there that after 10 pm, it will be understood
whether I will get sugar or not.
But there is also the opposite picture. Shamim Ahmed, a
truck driver who came to collect sugar from Narsingdi with a special demand
order or DO, said that he had come to collect sugar for a big company. Came
yesterday morning. Hoping to get sugar by Saturday morning. Mill authorities
told him so.
Journalists spoke to about 17 truck drivers and associates
waiting in front of a private sugar mill in the Rupsi area of Rupganj,
Narayanganj. All 12 of them said that they had come to collect sugar from the
special demand order. So don't wait long. However, many truck drivers from
outside Dhaka have complained that they are not getting sugar despite coming
several times in the last three months.
Now let's talk about another private sugar mill at
Charsindur in Palash of Narsingdi. Last Thursday (November 10, 2022) at 12
noon, a queue waiting for trucks from the regional road to Millgate in that
area. There are queues somewhere, there are random trucks waiting to pick up
sugar. 51 trucks were waiting outside this Millgate and 2 trucks were waiting
inside till yesterday afternoon. Some of these trucks have been waiting in
front of the mill gate for two days, and some for four days.
Babu Mia, a truck driver who came to pick up sugar from
Rajshahi, said, "I have been waiting at Millgate for three days. I still
don't know when I will get the product.
Lutfar Rahman, a truck driver from Rangpur, was hanging out
at the tea shop next to the mill gate. He has been waiting for four days. He
said, "Just keeping the truck in this way is a loss to the owner. There is
no income but we have to feed three meals a day. And I don't like to sit like
this.
A sugar mill official said on condition of anonymity,
"There is nothing to do with the increase in the price of sugar in the
market with the trucks sitting like this." Truck owners wait like this for
their own interest. All of the sugar that we produce every day is given away.
We can supply 25-30 truckloads of sugar.
Speaking of sugar refining companies, it is said that due to the gas and electricity crisis, mills' production has halved. Again, due to the
dollar crisis, they are unable to open letters of credit for the import of raw
sugar. Due to this, they are not able to use the full production capacity. As
the production has decreased, the demand in the market has not decreased. As a
result, there is an imbalance between supply and demand. And because of this,
products cannot be delivered on time.
Almost the same situation as sugar is in the case of flour.
Wholesale traders are not getting products from mills on time. As a result, the
supply in the retail market has also tightened. This has resulted in a shortage
of products in the market. It also increased the price.
Last Wednesday (November 9, 2022) on the ground, talking to
the traders of Moulvibazar in the capital, it is known that supply orders or SO
purchases have increased more than before. Due to the non-availability of products
on time against these SOs, the supply of flour, flour and sugar in the market
is tight. And the trucks have to wait day after day while bringing the
products. In this, two to three thousand rupees compensation has to be paid per
day. It increases the price of products in the market.
Shariful Islam, the owner of Yasin store in Moulvibazar, said
that earlier it took 14 days to get a carload of sugar. Then 40,000 rupees were
spent on the truck fare to get that product. But if you get daily products, you
have to pay only 7 thousand truck fare.
Meanwhile, some traders are paying high prices to get the
products quickly to keep the business running. But the mills are not giving any
separate receipt for this, the traders said.
A businessman of Moulvibazar said on condition of anonymity
that the businessmen are helpless in this situation. Additional truck fares, and special prices of products - flour-flour-sugar has to be sold at higher prices.
The price is changing daily. Again, the prices vary from store to store.
Truck traders also lose business if trucks are waiting at
the mill gate. The money they get as compensation for the waiting days goes
mainly to the wages of the driver-laborer. The truck owner does not get
anything as rent for the truck.
Md. Dadon Sarkar is one such truck owner who brings and
takes products from Moulvibazar in Dhaka. He said, "If you have to go to
the mill gate and park the truck, you cannot get rent. The money that I get for
compensation, I also have to give up many times.
Source:
Online/SZK
Comment Now