1,073 tonnes formalin imported in 4 years

Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed has said a formalin control law will be introduced soon.

He told Parliament on Tuesday that in the last four years 1,073 tonnes of formalin had been brought into the country.

Last year formalin imports were 55,000 kg, which was one-tenth of the import in 2010, he said.

Replying to questions in Parliament, the minister said formalin is mainly used in research at hospitals, laboratories and the pharmaceutical industry. There are no agents for importing formalin, he said.

He also presented a list of 38 companies that import formalin.

The minister said 544 tonnes formalin was imported in 2009-10, 269 tonnes in 2010-11, 205 tonnes in 2011-12 and 55 tonnes in 2012-13.

Tofail said the government was formulating the Formalin Control Act, 2014 to control the import of the substance.

The cabinet division has approved the draft law in principle with five observations and it has already been vetted, he said.

“After a few more formalities, it will soon be published as a gazette.”

In reply to a query from MP Mahmud Us Samad Chowdhury, he said the government was pulling out all the stops to ensure that the prices of essentials remained within people’s reach during Ramadan.

The ministry had sat with business associations, leading local retailers and wholesalers and other stakeholders, he said.

“Intelligence agencies are also on the alert about any unusual situations in the market.”

In Dhaka city, 14 commerce ministry teams will be monitoring the essentials’ markets, the minister said.