Five new products are being added to the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) product list from next November. These are tea, salt, detergent and two types of soap.

Commerce Advisor Sheikh Bashiruddin said this at a meeting on the selection and activation of TCB beneficiaries at the conference room of the Ministry of Commerce at the Secretariat on Monday (September 29).

The government provides about five thousand crore taka as a subsidy annually to run TCB's activities. Stating that this creates equality in market demand and supply, the Commerce Advisor said, 'The five new products in TCB's ongoing sales activities will provide some relief to the poor people. At the same time, it will play a role in controlling inflation.'

The advisor said that the government is continuing its efforts to accelerate TCB's activities.

He said, 'It is my expectation that TCB's smart family cards will reach the actual beneficiaries. Let him be identified as a poor and helpless person in the issuance of cards, he deserves the government's cooperation.'

He called for ensuring visible progress in the selection of beneficiaries and activation of cards across the country, including city corporations, within the next month.

Administrators of Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation, Narayanganj City Corporation, Gazipur City Corporation, Additional Deputy Commissioners and Upazila Executive Officers of the surrounding districts of Dhaka participated in the meeting.

Commerce Secretary Mahbubur Rahman said in the meeting, 'Identification of the correct selection of beneficiaries is coming to the fore as the main problem. In addition, the pace of the activities of the city corporation is somewhat slow. Since the problem has been identified, I hope the work will be completed soon.'

The latest information on TCB's Smart Family Card was informed in the meeting. It said that the total number of active cards is currently 60 lakh 34 thousand 316. The number of cards awaiting activation is 3 lakh 39 thousand 454.