Govt to procure 3 cargoes LNG, 1.60cr litres edible oil

The government today (3 April) approved separate proposals for procuring some 3 cargoes of LNG, 1.60 crore litres of edible oil, 30,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 10,000 tonnes of lentil to meet the growing demand of the country.

The approval came from the 8th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in this year held today at the Cabinet Division conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Division Secretary (coordination and reforms) Mahmudul Hossain Khan said that the day's meeting approved a total of 12 proposals.

He informed that following three separate proposals from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the government would procure one cargo LNG from M/S Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore at a cost of around Tk418.59 crore with per MMBtu LNG costing $9.23, one cargo LNG from M/S Total Energies Gas and Power Ltd Switzerland at a cost of around Tk427.67 crore where per MMBtu LNG would cost $9.23 while another one cargo LNG would be procured from M/S Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd, Singapore with around Tk410.65 crore where per MMBtu LNG would cost $9.23.

Following a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure 10,000 tonnes of lentil under local Open Tender Method (OTM) from Sena Kalyan Sangstha and Nabil Naba Foods Ltd at a cost of around Tk102.75 crore where per kg lentil would cost Tk102.75.

The TCB would also purchase 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil under local OTM method from City Edible Oil Ltd at a cost of around Tk168.27 crore with per litre soybean oil costing Tk152.98 while the TCB would purchase 50,000 litres of rice bran oil under local OTM method from Majumder Bran Oil Mills Ltd and Majumder Products Ltd at a cost of around Tk76 crore with per litre oil costing Tk152.

Following a proposal from the Ministry of Industries, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea fertilizer under the 15th lot from KAFCO, Bangladesh at a cost of around Tk120.90 crore where per ton fertiliser would cost $366.37.

In response to a proposal from the Ministry of Railways, Bangladesh Railway would procure 200 broad gauge passenger carriages from RITES Limited, India at a cost of around Tk1,626.49 crore.

The day's CCGP meeting also approved one proposal each from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Housing and Public Works, and Ministry of Shipping.