Staff Reporter :
The government today approved separate proposals for procuring some 0.15 million (1.50 lakh) tonnes of rice, 60,000 tonnes of fertilizer, 30,000 tonnes of rock phosphate to meet the growing demand of the country.
The government, in separate proposals, would also purchase 10,000 tonnes of lentil and 5,000 tonnes of sugar.
The approvals came from the 15th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase this year held today at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat today with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.
Following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Food, the government would procure 1 lakh tonnes of white rice on G2G basis from Myanmar Rice Federation (MRF), Myanmar with around Tk 6.18 billion (Tk 618 crore) with per ton of rice costing $515.
In another proposal, the government would purchase 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati boiled rice from M/S Mondol Stone Product Pvt Ltd under package 3 under the international OTM method for the current fiscal year (FY25) with around Tk 2.80 billion (Tk 280.62 crore) where per tonne rice would cost $467.70.
Following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure 5,000 tonnes of sugar under local OTM method from City Sugar Industries Ltd. Dhaka with around Tk 592 million (Tk 59.21 crore) with per kg sugar costing Tk 118.43.
Besides, the TCB would also procure 10,000 tonnes of lentil under local OTM method from M/S Payel Traders, Chattogram, with around Tk 966.9 million (Tk 96.69 crore) where per tonne lentil would cost Tk 96.69.
Following three separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure 30,000 tonnes of bagged prilled urea fertilizer under the 6th lot from Qatar Energy Marketing with around Tk 1.33 billion (Tk 133.08 crore) for the current fiscal year (FY25) where per ton fertilizer would cost $369.67.
In another proposal, the BCIC would procure 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular (optional) urea fertilizer under the 11th lot from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia for the current fiscal year with around Tk 1.23 billion (Tk 123.23 crore) with per ton fertilizer costing $342.33.
Besides, the BCIC would procure 30,000 tonnes of rock phosphate from M/S Zentrade FZE, UAE (manufacturer: OCP, SA, Morocco) under the international OTM method with around Tk 826.2 million (Tk 82.62 crore) with per tonne rock phosphate costing $229.50.
Apart from these, the day’s purchase committee meeting approved four other proposals from the Local Government Division.
