Govt to buy oil, sugar, lentil to distribute among 1cr families before Eid

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase yesterday approved separate proposals for procuring some 1.92 crore litres of soybean oil, 15,000 tonnes of sugar, and 13,500 tonnes of lentil in order to provide these essential commodities to one crore families at subsidised prices before Eid-ul-Azha.

The commodities will be distributed among the people between 22 June and 5 July.

The meeting also approved a proposal to buy 1.30 lakh tonnes of fertiliser to meet its growing demand.

Because of the existence of state-level agreements, the government would be able to procure these items at lesser prices compared to the international market rates, said Md Zillur Rahman Chowdhury, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division. 

While briefing reporters after the meeting held virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair, Zillur also said a total of 13 proposals were approved Wednesday. 

He said the Ministry of Commerce would procure some 1.92 crore litres of soybean oil at Tk201 a litre from local suppliers including Bashundhara Multi Food Products, Meghna Edible Oil, City Edible Oil, and Super Oil Refinery. 

As per another proposal from the commerce ministry, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure some 15,000 tonnes of sugar from Meghna Sugar Refinery Ltd and City Sugar Industries Ltd with around Tk123.05 crore. According to the proposal, each kilogram of packaged sugar would cost slightly over Tk84, while that from 50-kg sacks would cost slightly over Tk81.

Besides, the TCB would procure 13,500 tonnes of lentil from ACI Pure Flour Ltd, Sena Kalyan Sangstha, NS Construction, Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd, Nabil Naba Foods Ltd, and Ease Services Ltd with around Tk158.62 crore as each kilogram of the product would cost Tk117.50.

As per a proposal from the Ministry of Industries, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure some 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea fertiliser from Fertiglobe Distribution Ltd, UAE with around Tk179.21 crore.

Besides, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) under three separate proposals would procure some 30,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from Canadian Commercial Corporation under the 4th lot with around Tk242.53 crore with each metric tonne of the fertilizer costing $878.75.

Meanwhile, the BADC would procure 40,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from OCP, SA, Morocco under the 6th lot with around Tk420.44 crore with each tonne costing $1,142.50. It will buy 30,000 tonnes of TSP fertilizer from OCP, SA, Morocco with around Tk252.40 crore with each tonne costing $914.50.

Following two separate proposals from the Public Security Division of the home ministry, Bangladesh Police would procure a GSM UMTS Vehicular Active Support System from Computer Services Ltd with around Tk960 crore for Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) under a project taken to increase the technical and technological capacity of the elite force.

Besides, Bangladesh Police will also procure 30 jeeps with 2,700cc engine capacity from Pragoti Industries Ltd with around Tk28.20 crore under a project undertaken to increase the operational capacity of RAB.

The Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) under the Power Division will procure the work for installing one new substation and overhauling six sub-stations based on the turn-key method under package number GD-1 from the joint venture of LEEC and ADEX, Bangladesh with around Tk160.65 crore.

The public work under a project for Khulna Sewerage System Development will be awarded to the joint venture of TRIVENI, India, MIL and Bangladesh with around Tk426.72 crore.

Besides, two cost variation proposals from the Bridges Division and the Ministry of Housing and Public Works were also approved at the meeting.