TCB to Sell Packaged Spices and Tea from November in Push to Cut Subsidy Dependence

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) plans to start selling packaged turmeric powder, chilli powder and tea from November, as it widens its product range for consumers, raises commercial income and reduces its dependence on government subsidy.

TCB Chairman Brigadier General Mohammad Foysal Azad said the range of commercial products is being expanded to supply consumers with daily essentials at affordable prices while strengthening the organisation's financial capacity.

He added: 'We have already started selling soap and detergent. We plan to sell packaged turmeric and chilli powder from November. We have also received approval to sell tea, and hope to bring it to market in November as well.'

The TCB chairman said the organisation is also planning to sell flour. More products will be considered after assessing market demand, and a market survey is under way for that purpose; new products will be launched if the survey results are positive.

The wider product range is part of a plan to become financially self-reliant within the next four to five years by increasing income from commercial activities and reducing dependence on government subsidy.

The organisation has already started selling laundry soap, bath soap, detergent and salt. Although these products are sold below prevailing market prices, they are priced above procurement cost — so consumers get essentials at affordable prices while TCB also earns a small profit from them.

In the 2025-26 fiscal year, TCB made a profit of Tk 24.37 crore from its commercial activities. Foysal Azad said expanding the product range and reaching more consumers would raise the organisation's income, and that earning additional income this way is its goal.

He said that if the expanded product range helps TCB reach one crore customers, it could create an opportunity for around Tk 700 crore in additional income or financial benefit — though actual income will depend on sales volume and operational efficiency.

TCB currently reaches about 50 lakh customers a month through its new commercial products. The target is to raise that figure to 70-80 lakh this fiscal year and to one crore next fiscal year. The chairman said the new products went on sale only four months ago and the response from customers has been fairly good.

He also said the prices of existing subsidised products will not rise because of the new product sales, and that buying the new products will remain entirely the consumer's choice. In his words, there is no plan to raise the prices of products the government currently sells under subsidy, and they will continue at the existing prices. The new products, too, will be priced below prevailing market rates, he confirmed.

The TCB chairman said the strategy is to expand the product range step by step rather than changing everything at once, so that consumers can buy most of their regular essentials in one place at TCB sales points. By the organisation's estimate, a family buying regular essentials from TCB at lower prices could save several thousand taka a year.

Meanwhile, TCB is also examining opportunities to sell essentials such as edible oil, lentils and sugar outside its smart card-based distribution programme. A pilot initiative for selling edible oil is under way, and the organisation has invited applications from prospective dealers to sell products under the proposed programme.

Alongside diversifying its products, TCB has also moved to cut financing and operating costs. It plans to buy sugar and lentils with cash instead of bank loans, is using private banks offering comparatively lower interest rates, and has introduced a system for sales proceeds to be deposited directly into bank accounts through APIs. Direct distribution from regional warehouses has also been introduced to cut transport, loading and related costs.

On procurement plans, the TCB chairman said collection of sugar and other regular products is continuing, and toilet soap and laundry soap are also being purchased according to operational needs. But TCB does not procure onions and potatoes regularly throughout the year — they are bought only when the government deems it necessary in light of market conditions. 'We bought onions in 2022, 2023 and 2024. There is currently no onion crisis, so there is no plan to buy onions anew right now,' he said.

In the TCB chairman's words: 'We cannot reduce the subsidy burden just by cutting costs. We must also increase income.' The organisation wants to implement its four-to-five-year phased expansion plan by adding new spices, tea and other essentials and by growing its customer base.