DHAKA, Nov 27, 2024 (BSS) – The government today approved separate proposals for procuring some 55 lakh liters of soybean oil, 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer and 50,000 metric tons of wheat to meet the growing demand of the country.

Besides, the government approved separate proposals to procure 20,000 metric tons of sugar and 20,000 metric tons of lentil.

The approvals came from the 14th meeting of the Advisers’ Council Committee on Government Purchase in this year held today at the Cabinet Division conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the finance adviser said that they have special attention on procurement of essential items. “We’re now procuring lentil, fertilizer and wheat,” he added.

Responding to a question, he said that comfort has been restored to some extent among the common people regarding the prices of essentials.
 
“We’re trying to ensure that there remains not much gap between the production cost, import cost and at the retail or consumer level while such gap does not become irrational,” he added.

Cabinet Division officials said following a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce, the TCB would procure 55 lakh liters of soybean oil from Bashundhara Multi Food Products Ltd with around Taka 91.30 crore with per liter oil costing Taka 166.

The meeting also approved two separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce where the TCB would procure 10,000 metric tons of sugar through local Open Tender Method (OTM) from Meghna Sugar Refinery Ltd with around Taka 116.85 crore with per kg sugar costing Taka 116.85 while the TCB would purchase another consignment of 10,000 metric tons of sugar through local OTM method from Meghna Sugar Refinery Ltd with around Taka 115.85 crore where per kg sugar would cost Taka 115.85.

In response to two other proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the TCB would procure 10,000 metric tons of lentil from Nabil Naba Foods Ltd under local OTM method with around Taka 97.97 crore where per kg lentil would cost Taka 97.97 while the TCB would purchase another consignment of 10,000 metric tons of lentil from Nabil Naba Foods Ltd under local OTM method with around Taka 97.22 crore where per kg lentil would cost Taka 97.22.

Following a proposal from the Ministry of Food, the Directorate General of Food would procure 50,000 metric tons of wheat from M/S Agrocorp International Pte Ltd, Singapore under international OTM method with around Taka 171.65 crore while per ton fertilizer costing $286.08.

Besides, following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertilizer from KAFCO, Bangladesh with around Taka 120.82 crore while the BCIC would purchase another consignment of 30,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia with around Taka 124.83 crore.