Govt to procure 2.09cr litres soybean oil, 60,000 MTs of fertilizer

The government today approved separate proposals for procuring some 2.09 crore litres of soybean oil and 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer to meet the growing demand of the country.

The approvals came from the 39th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) this year held today virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Cabinet Division additional secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan said that a total of nine proposals were approved in the meeting.

He informed that following three separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure a total of 2.09 crore litres of soybean oil from different sources.

The TCB will procure 44 lakh litres of soybean oil from Sena Edible Oil Industries, Dhaka with Taka 81.18 crore under the local Direct Procurement Method (DPM) with per litre soybean oil costing Taka 184.5 down from the previous price of Taka 185 per litre.

Mahbub said that TCB would procure 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil from Zad Al Rahil International LLC Sultanate of Oman (local agent: Sky Trading) under the international DPM method with around Taka 151.73 crore where per litre oil would cost Taka 152.86 against the previous price of Taka 185 per litre.

Besides, the TCB will also procure another 55 lakh litres of soybean oil from Shun Shing Edible Oil Ltd. Dhaka also under the local DPM method with around Taka 101.47 crore.

Apart from these, the TCB would procure some 8,000 metric tons of lentils from Arabel Bakliyat Hububat Santic AS (local agent: BINQ, Dhaka) under the international open tendering method with around Taka 81.57 crore per KG lentil costing Taka 101.97.

The Cabinet Division additional secretary said following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) would procure some 30,000 metric tons of TSP fertilizer from OCP, SA, Morocco under a state-level agreement with around Taka 153.86 crore where per ton fertilizer would cost $480.

Besides, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Ministry of Industries will also procure some 30,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited, UAE under the 9th lot with around Taka 153.60 crore with per ton fertilizer costing $480 against the previous price of $518.35.

Mahbub said the day's CCGP meeting approved another proposal from the ICT Division under which the package numbers WD-5, 16, 17, 27 and 29 under the project for building initial infrastructures for Sheikh Hasina Institute of Frontier Technology at Shibchar upazila in Madaripur has been awarded to Western Engineering Private Ltd with around Taka 424.54 crore.

The meeting also approved a proposal from the Road Transport and Highways Division under which the lot number DS-05 of package number WP-03 under the 'SASEC Dhaka-Sylhet Corridor Road Development' project has been awarded to the joint venture of HEGO, China and Mir Akhter, Bangladesh with around Taka 232.96 crore.

The Cabinet Division additional secretary informed that the day's meeting also approved a cost variation proposal from the Local Government Division.