Govt to import 12,500 MT of sugar from US

The government will import 12,500 metric tons (MT) of sugar and 220,000 MT of fertliser to meet the domestic requirements.

Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a meeting on Wednesday (17 May) approved a number of proposals in this regard. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting held virtually.

According to a proposal of the Commerce Ministry, its subordinate body Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will import the sugar from Accentuate Technology Inc, USA (Local Agent: OMC Ltd, Dhaka) through an international open tender system at total cost of Tk66.27 crore with per kilogram (kg) cost at Tk82.85.

Additional secretary to the Cabinet Division Sayeed Mahbub Khan, who briefed reporters about the Cabinet body meeting, said while approving the proposal the issue of the Prime Minister's instruction not to import any goods from any country which imposed sanction on Bangladesh was not discussed in the meeting.

The committee approved two separate proposals of the Industries Ministry to import a total of 60,000 MT of urea fertilizer and 10,000 MT of phosphoric acid by its subordinate body Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC).

Of these, 30,000 MT of bagged granular urea will be procured from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (Kafco) at cost of Tk120.03 crore with per MT price at $371.25 while another 30,000 MT bulk granular urea fertiliser will be imported from SABIC Agri-nutrients Company of Saudi Arabia at a cost of Tk106.25 crore with per MT price at $327.33.

The BCI will import 10,000 MT of phosphoric acid at Tk60.95 crore from Sun International FZE, UAE (Local Agent: M/s Agro Industrial Input, Dhaka) for TSP Complex Limited, Chittagong. Each MT of acid will cost $566.50.

The CCGP approved a total of six proposals of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC), placed by the Agriculture Ministry, for importing a total of 160,000 MT of different types of fertilizers.

Of these, the BADC will import 40,000 MT of DAP fertilizer from MA'ADEN, Saudi Arabia at a cost Tk229.33 crore, $532 under the state level contract.

It will import 30,000 MT of TSP fertiliser from OCP, S.A. of Morocco at a cost Tk126.57 crore, with each MT price at $391.50, under the state level contract while 40,000 MT of DAP fertilizer will be imported from the same company of Morocco at a cost of Tk233.42 crore with per MT price at $541.5.

The BADC will import 50,000 MT of Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertiliser from the Canadian Commercial Corporation under the state-level contract at a cost of Tk225.23crore, with per MT price at $418.

The CCGP approved a proposal of the Local Government Division to extend the cost of the consultant by Tk11.1 crore for its project "Water Supply and Sanitation in 23 Municipalities of Bangladesh (1st Revised)" being implemented by the Department of Public Health Engineering.

Joint Venture of (1) Ranhill, (2) Farhat and (3) DDC had been appointed as consultant for the project.