The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved several proposals on Wednesday for the government to procure lentils, edible oil, and wheat to address domestic demand. Chaired by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, the meeting also involved Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division Syed Mahbub Khan, who briefed reporters on the outcomes.
The CCGP endorsed four proposals for the purchase of 14,000 tonnes of lentils and 10 million litres of rice bran oil, intending to distribute them to low-income individuals through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB). The lentils will be imported through open tender, with Islam Trading of Chittagong supplying 6,000 tonnes at a total cost of Tk 62.28 crore.
Additionally, the TCB will procure 60 lakh litres of rice bran oil from local firms Majumdar Products Limited and MRT Agro Products Bd Limited at a total cost of Tk 94.50 crore. The price of rice bran oil per litre was set at Tk 157.50.
Two more proposals presented in the meeting include the import of 8,000 tonnes of lentils from India at a cost of Tk 77.88 crore and the purchase of 50 lakh litres of soybean oil from Bashundhara Group at a cost of Tk 78.61 crore.
Furthermore, the CCGP approved two proposals for the import of one lakh tonnes of wheat through two separate international tenders, with a total cost of Tk 348.46 crore. The bulk wheat will be procured through international open tender, costing Tk 175.05 crore, with suppliers Cereal Crops Trading LLC of the United Arab Emirates and Agrocorp International Pvt Ltd, Singapore. The cost per kilogram is set at Tk 35.01 and Tk 34.68, respectively.
