DHAKA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Bangladeshi government has launched its countrywide open market sales (OMS) of rice at the subsidized rate in wake of the recent surge in prices of rice.
Under the OMS program, Abdul Mazid, a salesman of a fair price outlet in Dhaka, told Xinhua Sunday the rice price has been fixed at 30 taka (0.37 U.S. dollars) per kg, much lower than that in outside markets.
The OMS price of rice is lower by at least 20 taka a kg from the current retail market price.
According to the salesman, each customer can buy a maximum of 5 kg of rice every day from such outlets.
"So far we know the outlets will continue selling rice throughout city and elsewhere in the country until further notice," he said.
Bangladeshi Food Minister Quamrul Islam last week said the government decided to start OMS of rice to support the poorer segment of people as rice prices are soaring after floods wiped out crops in recent months.
Bangladesh last month announced to cut import duty on rice further to 2 percent amid flash floods.
