Govt to procure 70,000 tonnes of fertiliser, 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) has approved separate proposals for procuring around 70,000 tonnes of fertiliser and 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG to meet the growing local demand.

The approvals came from the 11th meeting of the CCGP in this year held on Thursday virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

BSS adds: Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Cabinet Division additional secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan informed that the day's CCGP meeting approved a total of seven proposals.

He said that following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) would procure some 40,000 metric tons of DAP fertilizer from OCP, SA, Morocco under state-level agreement with around Taka 262.13 crore where per ton fertilizer would cost $610 against the previous price of $710.

Mahbub said that in response to another proposal from the Ministry of Industries, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure some 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular fertilizer under the 14th lot from KAFCO, Bangladesh with around Taka 105.43 crore with per ton fertilizer costing $327.62 down from the previous price of $330.62.

He said that the CCGP meeting approved a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division under which the Petrobangla would procure some 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG from M/S Excelerate Energy LP, United States with around Taka 578.65 crore with per MMBtu LNG costing $13.69 against the previous price of $14.66.

The Cabinet Division additional secretary said that the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) under the Ministry of Commerce would procure some 8,000 metric tons of lentil from Uma Expo Pvt Ltd India (local agent: Future Infrastructure Development Ltd. Dhaka) with around Taka 72.91 crore with per KG lentil costing Taka 91.14.

He informed that following a proposal from the Internal Resources Division (IRD), the National Board of Revenue (NBR) would procure the Software Solution and Automated Risk Management System software from Webb Fontaine Group, Fz-LLC, Dubai, the UAE with around Taka 217.99 crore.

Besides, Mahbub said that the CCGP meeting decided to appoint the joint venture of SMEC, Australia, OCG, Japan, Dohwa Engineering Company Korea, ACE, Bangladesh and DDC, Bangladesh as the consultants for the "Technical Assistance for Road Transport Connectivity Improvement Project Preparatory Facility" with around Taka 44.42 crore under the Road Transport and Highways Division.

The meeting also approved a cost variation proposal from the Road Transport and Highways Division.

Earlier, the 7th meeting on the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in this year was also held virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.

The meeting approved in principle a proposal from the Ministry of Shipping for implementing the project for appointing international standard private operator for operating and maintaining the New Mooring Container Terminal at Chattogram port with overflow container yard through Public Private Partnership (PPP) method in line with the Procurement Guidelines for PPP Project, 2018.