Dhaka, July 5 -- The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) on Sunday alleged that the government's tax concessions on 63 essential commodities under the national budget have yet to translate into lower retail prices, blaming weak market oversight and what it described as "double standards" by a section of traders.

In a statement, CAB Vice-President SM Nazer Hossain said the government had reduced source tax on a wide range of essential items, including rice, wheat, pulses, onions, garlic, ginger, edible oil, sugar, fish, livestock and poultry from 5 percent, 2 percent and 1 percent to 0.5 percent in a bid to lower import and marketing costs.

"Consumers were expecting the benefits of these tax cuts to be reflected in the retail marke...