Garment workers to get rice at Tk 30 a kg under special OMS

Résumé détaillé

Under the programme, each garment worker will be able to buy up to 10 kg of rice per month at Tk 30 per kg. A food ministry official today told The Daily Star that the programme…

The government has decided to launch a special Open Market Sale (OMS) programme to provide rice at affordable prices to garment workers, who are under pressure from high inflation.

OMS is a government scheme that sells essential commodities to the public at below-market prices.

Under the programme, each garment worker will be able to buy up to 10 kg of rice per month at Tk 30 per kg.

A food ministry official today told The Daily Star that the programme will begin this month, likely on November 20.

The decision comes amid unrest in garment-sector areas over wage demands. The Minimum Wage Board, formed early this month, has begun its work and held two meetings. At Monday’s meeting, the workers’ representative proposed a minimum wage of Tk 32,000.

The ministry plans to implement the programme initially in Dhaka metropolitan area and the rest of Dhaka district, Gazipur and Narayanganj districts, and Chattogram metropolitan area and the rest of Chattogram district.

Rice will be sold from 75 trucks on Fridays, the garment industry’s weekly holiday.

To implement the scheme, the food ministry wrote to the finance ministry yesterday, seeking additional funds.

The letter said the decision was made to reduce garment workers’ food expenses and give them access to affordable rice.

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