Own Correspondent: The price of packaged edible salt in the market is expected to increase to Tk 50 per kg. Edible salt marketing companies have sent proposals to the Tariff Commission to raise prices. At present, the price of packaged edible salt is Tk 42 per kg. Marketing companies claim that all materials and transportation costs associated with salt production have increased more than before. The price of crude salt has gone up. Therefore, if the price is not increased, the companies will have to pay losses.
There are four or five such companies marketing packaged edible salt in the country. This salt market is under their control. The companies’ packaged edible salt is currently being sold in the market at Tk 42 per kg. Due to the increase in the cost of production, including the raw material of edible salt, the marketing companies of edible salt have sent a proposal to the Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission to fix Tk 50 per kg to increase the price. Last week, there was a meeting with the representatives of the companies and the officials of the Tariff Commission. When asked about this, Tariff Commission Deputy Chief Mahmudul Hasan told the media that the companies have demanded an increase in prices. They have to buy crude salt at Tk 13 or 14 per kg. But Bisik opposed the increase in the price of edible salt. We will now prepare a report considering the overall situation and send it to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Sarwar Hossain, DGM (Salt Cell) of BCIC’s head office, said that the price of packaged edible salt will not increase. I had a meeting with them. We have calculated and argued for not increasing the price. Companies have also accepted.
Edible salt marketing companies claim that the price of crude salt in the market has increased more than before. Now crude salt has to be bought for 80 kg at 1150 taka. Earlier, I bought 80 kg of crude salt for 700 to 800 taka. Other expenses have also increased with it. Gas, electricity, and transport costs have increased. Again, after purchasing the crude salt, during the refining process, about 30 percent is discarded. As a result, the total production cost per kg of packaged edible salt is falling to Tk 36 or 37. Now it is being sold in the market at a rate of Tk 42 per kg. In such a situation, if the price is not increased, the loss will be calculated.
Mohammad Shamsuddin, an official of Confidence Salt, an edible salt marketing company, said that 80 kg of crude salt have to be bought for Tk 1,150. When the water melts from the crude salt, the mana is reduced by three kilograms. Gas, electricity, and transportation costs have increased. If we sell at the current price, we will have to close our factory. Therefore, we have proposed to the Tariff Commission that it fix the price of packaged edible salt at Tk. 50 per kg. A meeting was held with the commission. However, the decision has not been finalized yet.
Nurul Kabir, president of the Bangladesh Salt Mill Owners’ Association, told the media that increasing the price of edible salt is not the solution. Mill owners buy crude salt from middlemen. They have about 1 million metric tons of crude salt in stock. They are increasing the price of crude salt. We have demanded that the price of crude salt be fixed. Otherwise, there is a risk of instability in the salt market.
