The prices of all kinds of fan have increased by up to 15 per cent in the country in the last two weeks as the mercury is rising on the eve of summer season.
The retailers of several electronics markets in the capital said most of the companies and importers had already increased the wholesale prices of fans.They said that the prices of local and imported fans would increase further in midsummer with the increase of demand.
A salesman of Shafali Electronics at city’s Stadium Market told New Age that the prices of ceiling fans increased by Tk 150-Tk 300 per unit and the prices of table and stand fan increased by Tk 300-Tk 500 per unit in the last two weeks.
Manufacturers, however, said that the prices of fans increased a bit but not by 15 per cent.
Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, managing director of RR Electric Industries, said the prices of fans increased with the gradual increase of raw materials.
Mosharraf, also the president of Bangladesh Electrical Merchandise Manufacturers Association, said local manufacturers could meet 80 per cent of demand for fans.
He also said it was necessary to impose additional duty on the imports of fans as the local industry was able to meet most of the demands.
If the government reduces the duty on the import of basic raw materials, local entrepreneurs will be encouraged and the prices of fans will be decreased, he said.
The price of a 56-inch fan of National Fan (Tongi), one of the reputed manufacturers of the country, increased by Tk 300 and was selling at Tk 2,700 at the retail shops in different markets.
A 56-inch fan of Asia Fan was selling at Tk 2,900 from Tk 2,650 and City Fan of Milon Metal & Engineering Works was selling at Tk 2,400 from Tk 2,200 on the retail market.
Monirzzman, marketing manager of City Fans, said the prices of fans increased by 10 per cent due to the price hike of raw materials.
The traders of raw materials of fans have increased the prices with a hope that they can make a windfall profit with the increasing demand in the pick season, he said.
-With New Age input
