Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed has said that the government is working to keep the prices of essential commodities within tolerable level in the market until the Holy Ramadan.

“We’re trying to ensure that the prices in the market remain tolerable. But it’s a tough job. The nature of business is complex, and it’s difficult to untangle this complexity,” he told reporters after a meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) at the Cabinet Division on Wednesday.

He came up with the remarks in response to a question about the persistent high prices of soybean oil despite the government’s decision to exempt tax and duties on its import.

He said the Purchase Committee had approved a series of proposals for importing essential commodities like soybean oil, lentils, and sugar as part of the government’s efforts to keep prices within an affordable range.

“We hope that the supply of various products will arrive and the market will remain stable until Ramadan,” he said.

However, he acknowledged the gap between the market situation and the expected price reductions of different products following the government’s initiatives.

“There are various kinds of syndicates in the market. If the government tightens controls too much, it may backfire,” he cautioned.

“We want everyone to do business but not make excessive profits,” he said adding, “We have to depend more on external sources to secure product supplies. “

He also urged people to be more vigilant about market condition and file complaints against traders if they engage in excessive profiteering.

“In other countries, consumers are very vigilant. If a trader sets prices too high, they lodge complaints with the authorities. Unfortunately, in our country, consumers tend to be more tolerant,” he said.