Special OMS for garment workers: rice at Tk 30 a kg, up to 10 kg a month
The government has launched a special OMS (Open Market Sale) programme to cut food costs for workers in the readymade garment industry. Under the programme, each garment worker can buy up to 10 kg of rice a month at Tk 30 per kg.
Sales under the programme began on Friday (November 13) through truck sales, initially in Dhaka metropolitan and other areas of Dhaka district, Gazipur, Narayanganj, and Chattogram metropolitan and other areas of Chattogram district.
Food Ministry sources said every worker employed in the garment industry can buy a maximum of 10 kg of rice a month under the programme, priced at Tk 30 per kg.
Rice will be sold from trucks every Friday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., subject to stock availability.
Workers will have to show their own garment factory identity cards when buying rice, and sales will be made against workers' signatures on their factory's master roll. Sources said this would ensure the benefit reaches genuine garment workers.
The programme will be run under the overall management of the Directorate General of Food under the Food Ministry. Separate monitoring teams have been formed by the Food Ministry and the directorate to ensure transparency and proper implementation.
The government regularly sells rice at subsidised prices under the OMS programme for low-income people, easing access to food and allowing people to buy food items below market prices. The special initiative for garment workers has been taken as a continuation of that programme.
