Govt to buy food grain, fertiliser from int’l mkt

Staff Reporter :
The government on Wednesday approved separate proposals for procuring some 67.20 lakh Metric Million British Thermal Unit (MMBtu) LNG, 15.85 lakh Metric Tonnes (MTs) of fuel oil, 11 lakh tonnes food grain and 2.90 lakh tonnes fertilizers from the international market.

The approvals came from the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) meeting held virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
Briefing the reporters after the meeting, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Md Syed Mahbub Khan said that the government has taken a policy decision to import 500,000 metric tonnes of rice and 600,000 tonnes of wheat on the basis of G2G through international open tenders. Out of this, three lakh tonnes of rice will be procured under G2G basis. Two lakh tonnes of rice will be imported through international open tender.

On the other hand, 4.50 lakh tonnes of wheat will be purchased under G2G basis, while 1.50 lakh tonnes of wheat will be imported through international open tender, the Additional Secretary said.
Md Syed Mahbub Khan said that following two separate proposals from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Petrobangla would procure some 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG from M/S Excelerate Energy LP, United States with around Taka 572.04 crore while the Petrobangla will procure another cargo of 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG from the M/S Vitol Asia Pte. Ltd., Singapore with around Taka 544.19 crore.

The committee also approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) under Energy

and Mineral Resources Division to import about 15.85 lakh MTs of fuel oil from Unipec Singapore Pte Ltd. and Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore at a cost over Tk 12,276.69 crore.
The CCGP approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Ministry of Industries to procure some 30,000 MTs of bulk granular (optional) urea fertilizer under state-level agreement under the 18th lot from Muntajat, Qatar at a cost of Taka 87.98 crore. The committee also approved another proposal of the BCIC to procure some 30,000 MTs of bulk prilled (optional) urea fertilizer from Muntajat, Qatar at a cost of Taka 97.58 crore.
Besides, the committee approved another proposal of the BCIC to procure some 30,000 MTs of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) under 20th lot of 2022-23 at a cost of Taka 96.94 crore.

The committee also approved another proposal of the BCIC to procure some 30,000 MTs of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (KAFCO) under 1st lot of 2023-24 at a cost of Taka 97.66 crore.
Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) would procure 40,000 MTs of DAP fertilizer from MA’ADEN, Saudi Arabia under state-level agreement under the 5th lot with around Taka 193.03 crore.
The BADC would purchase 30,000 MTs of MOP fertilizer from Russian JSC Foreign Economic Corporation “Prodintorg” under state-level agreement under the 1st lot with around Taka 111.83 crore.
The BADC would also procure 1,00,000 MTs of MOP fertilizer from Canadian Commercial Corporation under state-level agreement under the 7th and 8th lots with around Taka 372.78 crore.