TCB to buy 1.25cr litre soybean oil

The cabinet committee on public purchase has approved the proposal of Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) to source 1.25 crore litres of soybean oil and 5,000 tonnes of moshur lentil to supply to one crore card-holder families across the country at subsidised rate.

The corporation under the Ministry of Commerce will buy these products at a cost of more than Tk260 crore from various private sector companies through direct purchase.

"The committee has approved the proposal to buy 40 lakh litres of soybean oil from Superoil Refinery Limited for Tk59.58 crore at the rate of Tk173.95 per litre in first phase," Md Abdul Barik, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, told reporters on Wednesday after a meeting presided over by the Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal.

"In another lot, the purchase of 85 lakh litre soybean oil at a cost of Tk145.35 crore at Tk171 per litre has been approved," he said, adding, "Shun Shing Edible Oil Limited, Bashundhara Multifood Limited and Sinha Edible Oil Ltd will supply respectively 20 lakh tonnes, 35 lakh tonne and 30lakh tonne."  

TCB will also buy 5,000 tonne moshur lentils from several companies at Tk111 per kg at a cost of Tk55.50 crore.

Besides, the committee approved the proposal to purchase 1.20lakh tonnes urea fertiliser from Qatar and Saudi Arabia on G2G basis and from the Karnafuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco).

The committee also approved the proposal to appoint six berth operators at Chattogram Port for the next five years. FQ Khan & Brothers Ltd, Fazlisons Ltd, M/s Bashir Ahmed & Co Ltd, M/s A & J Traders, Everest Port Services Limited, and A H Chowdhury Limited have been appointed for berth 9 to 13 respectively.

For this, the Chattogram Port Authority will pay Tk 77-78 crore to each company.

Besides, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the proposal to delist the Mirpur Integrated Township Development (MITD phase-2) PPP project to build a state-of-the-art planned housing estate on 80 acres of land in the capital's Mirpur-9 to 11 sections.

Md Abdul Barik said Singapore-based 'Enterprise Singapore' was supposed to build this township on G2G basis. An MoU was signed with them two years ago. The officials of the company have also visited Bangladesh twice.

"The Singaporean company is not currently interested in working on the project. Since two years have passed, the Ministry of Housing and Public Works proposed to scrap the project and the committee approved it," he added.