Govt to procure lentils, edible oil and wheat for low-income groups

The government will procure lentils, edible oil and wheat to meet domestic demands as the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on Wednesday approved a number of proposals in this regard. 

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the online meeting on Wednesday.

Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Syed Mahbub Khan briefed reporters about the outcomes of the meeting.

The CCGP approved four proposals to purchase 14,000 tonnes of lentils and 10 million litres of rice bran oil to sell those to the low-income people through state marketing agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).

As per the proposals, some 6,000 tonnes (MTs) of lentils will be imported through open tender method in the fiscal year 2023-24.

Islam Trading of Chittagong will supply the bulk lentils at a total cost Tk 62.28 crore at Tk 103.80 per kg.

The TCB will purchase 60 lakh litres of rice bran oil through local direct purchase method from two local firms--Majumdar Products Limited and MRT Agro Products Bd Limited--at a total cost of Tk 94.50 crore. Price of rice bran oil per liter was set at Tk 157.50.

Under two more proposals, instantly presented in the meeting, some 8,000 tonnes of lentils will be imported from India at a cost of Tk 77.88 crore with each kg price at Tk 102.36.

In another proposal, the TCB will purchase 50 lakh liters of soybean oil from Bashundhara Group at a cost of Tk 78.61 crore with each litre cost at Tk 157.22.

The Cabinet body approved two proposals to import one lakh tonnes of wheat through two separate international tenders at a cost of Tk 348.46 crore.

Of these 50,000 tonnes of wheat will be imported through international open tender method.

As per the proposals of the Ministry of Food, the bulk wheat will cost Tk 175.05 crore.

Cereal Crops Trading LLC of the United Arab Emirates will supply the wheat at a cost of Tk 175 crore with each kg costing at Tk 35.01.

Agrocorp International Pvt Ltd, Singapore will supply 50,000 tonnes of wheat at 173.40 crore with each kg costing at 34.68.