Staff Reporter :
In a move to address the rising demand for essential commodities, the Bangladesh government authorised the procurement of 1.70 lakh metric tonnes of fertiliser and 10,000 metric tonnes of lentils.
The approval came during the 11th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP), held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali chaired the meeting virtually due to COVID-19.
Cabinet Division Secretary Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan informed reporters that the committee approved a total of 19 proposals from various ministries. These included proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Agriculture, Secondary and Higher Education Division, Ministry of Industries, Power Division, Local Government Division, and Ministry of Railways.
The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will be responsible for procuring the 10,000 metric tonnes of lentils through a local Open Tender Method (OTM). Ease General Trading, Dhaka, and Nabil Naba Food Products Ltd., Dhaka, will supply the lentils at a cost of around Taka 101.94 crore, with a per kilogramme price of Taka 101.94.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) will handle fertiliser procurement.
They will acquire 40,000 metric tonnes of MOP fertiliser under the 1st lot from Canadian Commercial Corporation, Canada, for approximately Taka 125.40 crore. This translates to a price of $327.75 per tonne of fertiliser.
The BADC, in another proposal, will procure 40,000 metric tonnes of DAP fertiliser from MA’ADEN, Saudi Arabia, under a state-level agreement worth around Taka 228.36 crore, with per-tonne fertiliser costing $554.
Following separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure 30,000 metric tonnenes of bulk granular urea fertiliser from Muntajat, Qatar, under the 13th lot with around Taka 92.29 crore, with per-tonne fertiliser costing $282.50.
In another consignment, the BCIC will procure 30,000 metric tonnenenes of bulk granular urea fertiliser from SABIC Agri-Nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia, for around Taka 91.13 crore, with per-tonnene fertiliser costing $288.33, while the BCIC in another consignment would purchase 30,000 metric tonnenenes of bagged granular urea fertiliser for around Taka 95.93 crore, with per-tonnene fertiliser costing $366.375.
Mahmudul said the day’s CCGP meeting approved another proposal from the Ministry of Industries under which four buffer godowns would be constructed in four districts: Joypurhat (15,000 metric tonnes), Sirajganj (20,000 metric tonnes), Lalmonirhat (10,000 metric ), and D and Dinajpur (20,000 metric tonnes) of the country.
The four buffer godowns will be constructed under the 1st revised project for the construction of some 34 buffer godowns in different parts of the country for the preservation of fertiliser and its distribution.
Mahmudul said, “The day’s meeting also approved a proposal from the Ministry of Railways under which Taka 177.48 crore cost variation has been made for the 1st revised project for procurement of 20 metre gauge diesel electric locomotives and 150 metre gauge passenger carriages.
He informed me that with the unused loan amount from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF), some 35 more metre-gauge carriages would be procured with a zero interest rate, for which the DPP of the project would be recast.