Cabinet body nods 3 lakh tonnes of urea purchase
Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase approves eight proposals evolving a cost of Tk16,000 crore
The government will buy 3.05 lakh tonnes of fertilizers from the international market, and the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase has approved six proposals at a cost of around Tk643.27 crore in this regard.
The Cabinet Committee meeting on Public Purchase presided over by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal approved a total of eight purchase proposals Thursday.
Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal briefed the press after the meeting which took place virtually. He said the approved eight purchase proposals will cost the government Tk16,271.49 crore.
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Of it, the government will spend Tk15628.21 crore from its own pocket while the local banks will provide the remaining Tk643.28 crore.
The additional secretary said the meeting gave a go-ahead to five proposals of industries ministry, and one each from agriculture ministry, Road Transport and Highways Division, and Power Division.
Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal said that Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will buy 75,000 tonnes of urea from Saudi Arabia in three lots at a cost of Tk168.20 crore through a state agreement. Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) will supply the fertilizer.
Besides, BCIC will buy another 25,000 tonnes of urea from Singapore's Aries Fertilizers Group Pte Ltd (local agent Poton Traders) at Tk66.84 crore through international quotations.
Another purchase of 25,000 tonnes of urea from Swiss Singapore Overseas Enterprises Pte Ltd through BCIC will cost the government Tk66.87 crore.
At the briefing, the additional secretary further said that 1.80 lakh tonnes of
Muriate of potash (MOP) will be bought for the current financial year. The price of the MOP fertilizer has been fixed at Tk341.37 crore under a state agreement between Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation and Russia's JSC Foreign Economic Association.
The meeting also approved the signing of a 25-year agreement between Bangladesh Power Development Board (PDB) and China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to set up a 42.5 MW waste-to-energy plant in Dhaka North City Corporation area.
In 25 years, the Chinese company will have to be paid Tk15,325.43 crore.
