Proposals for LNG, petroleum, wheat import get clearance

The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase at a meeting on Wednesday approved 12 proposals, including the import of LNG, liquid petroleum and wheat.

The meeting also endorsed the installation of a 50MW solar power plant in private sector to supply electricity to the government entity.

Besides, two proposals received approval in principle of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affair (CCEA) for the purchase of a huge number of syringes to be used for Covid-19 vaccination and also the import of petroleum for meeting local demands.

As per the approvals of the CCEA, the Department of Drug Administration under the Public Health Service Division received a nod to procure 11 crore auto disable (AD) syringes for vaccinating people from the local JMI Syringes and Medical Devices through a direct procurement method.

The BPC will purchase 80,000 metric tons of furnace oil, known as heavy fuel oil, from different countries under the G-to-G contracts.  

Of the proposals approved by the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase, the state-owned Petrobangla will import some 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG (liquefied natural gas) from the international spot market through quotation.

Vitol Asia Pte, Singapore, will supply the bulk LNG at a rate of $29.89 per million British thermal units (MMBtu).

About the proposal, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said so far this has been the highest rate at which Bangladesh has to import LNG from international market.

"We don't there where the price will go up….the prices of both gas and liquid petroleum are rising fast... it's a big concern for us," he told UNB.  

A proposal of the Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to set up a 50MW solar power plant by a private sponsor received the approval.

As per the proposal, the Joint Venture of (1) Hero Future Energies Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore and (2) Business Research International Corporation Inc. (BRIC), Panama will set up the plant in Terkhada area in Khulna and the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity over 20 years.

Nasrul Hamid said pharmaceutical company Reneta is the local agent of the BRIC.

The BPDB will have to pay a total of Tk 1,328.90 crore to the sponsor company for the purchase of the electricity at a rate of 10.25 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 8.20) per kilowatt hour.

Another proposal of the power division also received the approval of the committee to award a contract to J&C Impex Ltd., Dhaka, to procure and install the Hot Gas Path Inspection of the Gas Turbine of the 225 MW Shikolbaha Power Station at Chattogram at a contract value of Tk 102.94 crore.

A proposal of the Food Directorate General of Food Ministry to import 50,000 metric tons of wheat from Singapore-based Agrocorp International Pte Ltd. at Tk 179.53 crore received the committee's approval.

The committee also approved proposals for awarding contracts for printing and supply of books for education boards, import of 30,000 metric tons of fertilizer and construction of a number of roads under the roads and highways department.