TCB to procure soyabean oil, lentil, sugar from business groups

The Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the state-run marketing agency, will procure 1.92 crore litres of soyabean oil, 13,500 mts of lentils and 15,000 mts of sugar from different private business groups.

Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) at a meeting, with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in chair, approved different proposals of the Commerce Ministry in this regard on Wednesday.

According to the decision, the TCB will procure a total of 1.92 crore litres of soyabean oil at a rate Tk 201 per litre from Bashundhara Multifood, Sinha Edible Oil, Sonsing Edible Oil, Meghna Edible Oil, Super Oil Refinery and the City Edible Oil.

Secretary of the Cabinet Division Zillur Rahman said that the government will procure the essential items from these groups through negotiation by pursuing the direct purchase method (DPM).

He also informed that the TCB will procure 15,000 metric tons of sugar at a total cost of Tk 123.05 crore from the Meghna Sugar Refinery Ltd and the City Sugar Industries Ltd.

Each kg of sugar in a single packet will cost Tk 84 while each kg of a 50 kg bag will cost Tk 81.

The TCB will procure some 13,500 metric tons of lentil at a cost of Tk 158. 62 crore from ACI Pure Flour Ltd; Sena Kalyan Sangstha; NS Construction; Bangladesh Edible Oil Ltd.; Nabil Naba Foods Ltd.; and Ease Services Ltd. Each kg of lentil will cost Tk 117.5.

The additional secretary said that the government will distribute these products among the poor families through a programme.

The Cabinet Committee also approved a number of proposals from Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) to import 70,000 metric tons of DAP fertiliser and 30,000 metric tons TAP fertiliser from different countries.

A proposal of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) received approval of the committee to import 30,000 metric tons of urea fertiliser from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited, UAE.

The additional secretary informed that Bangladesh was able to import this fertiliser from different countries at a relatively lower prices due to its long term contract with them.