DHAKA, Aug 30, 2023 (BSS) - The government today approved a proposal for fixing tariff for procuring electricity from the 300MW solar power plant to be set at Rampal under Bagerhat district.

The approval came from the 28th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in this year held virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

Briefing reporters virtually after the meeting, Cabinet Division additional secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan said that the day's CCGP meeting approved a total of 8 proposals.

He said following a proposal from the Power Division, the 300MW Solar Power Plant at Rampal Upazila under Bagerhat district would be set up by the Joint Stock Company of ACWA Power Company, Saudi Arabia; Comfit Composite Knit Ltd. Bangladesh; Viyellatex Spinning Ltd, Bangladesh and Midland East Power Ltd. Bangladesh under the supervision of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

Mahbub said once its operation is launched, power will be purchased from the aforesaid companies under "No Electricity, No Payment" basis for a period of 20 years where around Taka 10,761.60 crore would be required with a power tariff of Taka 11.067 for per kilowatt hour electricity.

In the overall arrangement, there will be 12 percent discount factor, 6 percent tax at source and 18.5 percent plant factor.

The Cabinet Division additional secretary informed that following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure some 6,000 metric tons of lentil under local Open Tender Method (OTM) from Nabil Naba Foods Ltd for the current fiscal year (FY24) with around Taka 57.05 crore where per KG lentil would cost Taka 95.09 against the previous price of Taka 94.44.

On the other hand, the TCB would procure some 40 lakh liters of rice bran oil under local Open Tender Method (OTM) for the current fiscal year (FY24) from Majumder Bran Oil Mills Ltd with Taka 64.60 crore where per liter oil would cost Taka 161.5 against the previous price of Taka 169.25.

Mahbub said the day's CCGP meeting also okayed five separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries for procuring some 1.25 lakh metric tons of fertilizer from different sources.

The Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure some 25,000 metric tons of rock phosphate from M/S Agro Industrial Input, Dhaka with around Taka 97.82 crore with per ton rock phosphate costing $359 against the previous price of $375.

The BCIC will procure 10,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid from M/S Best Eastern, Dhaka for the TSPCL in Chattogram with around Taka 58.86 crore with the price of per ton phosphoric acid at $540.

Meanwhile, the BCIC will procure 30,000 metric tons of bulk prield urea fertilizer from Muntajat, Qatar in 1st lot under state-level agreement with around Taka 130.52 crore with per ton fertilizer costing $397.33 while the BCIC will purchase another consignment of 30,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Muntajat, Qatar in 2nd lot also under state-level agreement with around Taka 131.13 crore where per ton fertilizer would cost $399.17 against the previous price of $397.33.

Besides, the BCIC will procure 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertilizer from KAFCO, Bangladesh in the 3rd lot with around Taka 129.18 crore with per ton fertilizer costing $393.25.

Prior to the CCGP meeting, the 20th meeting on the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was held today with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

The meeting approved a proposal in principle for reducing the timeframe for submitting tender bids at 15 days from 42 days to be determined from the date of publishing advertisement in the newspaper for procuring wheat by the Directorate General of Food under international open tender method.