Govt to procure soybean oil, sugar, chickpeas, lentil

The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will procure some 1.71 crore liters of soybean oil, 19,500 tonnes of lentil, 10,000 tonnes of chickpeas and 14,000 tonnes of sugar to meet the growing demand of the country ahead of the Holy Month of Ramadan. 

The approval came from the ninth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) this year held on Thursday virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, the Finance Minister said that the day's CCGP meeting approved a total of 13 proposals.

Out of those proposals, the meeting approved four separate proposals from the TCB under the Ministry of Commerce for procuring those essentials items to meet the growing demand centering the Holy month of Ramadan, he said.

Joining the briefing virtually, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Md Zillur Rahman said that the TCB would procure some 14,000 tonnes of sugar with a cost of around Taka 110.60 crore. Out of that volume, the TCB will procure 7,000 tonnes of sugar from Meghna Sugar Refined Ltd with around Taka 55.30 crore and another 7,000 tonnes of sugar from City Sugar Industries Ltd with around Taka 55.30 crore.

The TCB will procure a total of 10,000 tonnes of chickpeas with a cost of around Taka 81.40 crore. Out of that quantity, Sena Kalyan Sangshtha will provide 2,000 tonnes of chickpeas with around Taka 16.28 crore, M/S Blue Sky Enterprise will provide 4,000 tonnes of chickpeas with around Taka 32.56 crore while Ruby Food Products Ltd will supply the rest of 4,000 tonnes of chickpeas with around Taka 32.56 crore.

Under another proposal, the TCB will procure some 19,500 tonnes of lentils with around Taka 211.57 crore from seven firms namely Sabnam Vegetable Oil Insustries Ltd, Ease Services Ltd, Porbo International, M/s Roy Traders, Plantegic Incorporation, Bashundhara Food and Beverage Ltd and Basumati Distribution Ltd.

Besides, the TCB will procure some 1,71,15,652 liters of soybean oil with around Taka 287.54 crore from six firms namely Sena Edible Oil Industries Ltd, Super Oil Refined Limited, Meghna Edible Oils Refinery Ltd, City Edible Oil Ltd, Bashundha Multi Food Products Ltd and Shun Shing Edible Oil Ltd.

The CCGP meeting gave nod to three separate proposals from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Ministry of Shipping, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary said.

The meeting awarded the lot-1 under package number WIA to the joint venture of China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd (CHEC) with around Taka 601.62 crore, the lot-2 under package number WIA to the Gulf Cobla, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Karnaphuli Bangladesh with around Taka 154.21 crore and lot-3 under package number WIA to the joint venture of Dharti Dredging and Infrastructure Ltd, India and Banga Dredgers Ltd, Bangladesh with around Taka 275.66 crore.

All the three lots were awarded under the project for "Bangladesh regional domestic river transport project-1: (Chattogram-Dhaka-Ashuganj and connected river ways dredging and construction of other infrastructures including terminal).

Zillur said the meeting approved three other proposals from the Secondary and Higher Education Division under the project for unleashing further development of Jahangirnagar University (JU).

The work for constructing a three-storey sports complex at the Jahangirnagar University (JU) will be done by Mahabub Brothers Private Ltd with around Taka 119.36 crore, the construction of a six-storey library building will be done by the joint venture of MBPL and ATCL with around Taka 101.86 crore while the construction of a 10-storey administrative building will be done by the joint venture of MJCL and MNHCL with around Taka 137.42 crore.

Following a proposal from the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), the joint venture of TDC and ZHEC, Dhaka will conduct the package number W-09 on "Land Development Works in Sabrang Park" with around Taka 180.80 crore situated at Sabrang Tourism Park at Teknaf under Cox's Bazar.

Besides, two other proposals from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism on revised agreements with variations were also approved in the meeting.

Prior to the CCGP meeting, the seventh meeting on the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) was held today virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

The meeting approved a proposal from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief under which some 60 multipurpose accessible rescue boats will be procured from "Dockyard and Engineering Works Ltd" under the direct procurement method (DPM).

Besides, the meeting approved another proposal in principle for scrapping the "Coal/bulk terminal construction project" from the PPP list.

Source: BSS