The government has greenlit separate plans to acquire approximately 10,000 metric tons of sugar and 8,000 metric tons of lentils to address the nation’s increasing demand. This approval was granted during the 6th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) for the current year, chaired by Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali at the Cabinet Division in the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Following the meeting, Cabinet Division Secretary (Coordination and Reforms) Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan briefed reporters, stating that a total of 13 proposals were approved. He highlighted that, as per a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will procure around 10,000 metric tons of sugar from the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation (BSFIC) using the Direct Procurement Method (DPM). This decision aims to meet the increased demand during the ongoing Holy Month of Ramadan, with an allocated budget of Taka 160 crore, at a cost of Taka 160 per kilogram of sugar.
Additionally, Mahmudul mentioned that TCB will also obtain 8,000 metric tons of lentils through the DPM method from Agrigo Trading Pvt Ltd, India, with an estimated budget of approximately Taka 76.65 crore, at a cost of Taka 100.80 per kilogram of lentils.
He further elaborated on two separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries, stating that the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would acquire 25,000 metric tons of rock phosphate from M/S Desh Trading Corporation, Dhaka (Manufacturer: OCP, SA, Morocco), with an allocated budget of around Taka 94.51 crore. Similarly, BCIC will procure 30,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid from M/S Agro Industrial Input, Dhaka, and M/S Desh Trading Corporation, Dhaka, with a budget of approximately Taka 189 crore.
In a proposal from the Ministry of Shipping, the contract for the “Design, Manufacture, Supply, and Installation of Container Handling Equipment, Terminal Operation System, and Security System (package 2A)” under the ‘Matarbari Port Development Project’ has been awarded to Mitsui E&S Machinery and Tec International Consortium (Mitsui E&S), Japan, at a cost of around Taka 799.49 crore.
Furthermore, the CCGP meeting also approved one proposal from the Ministry of Industries, one from the Ministry of Housing and Public Works, three from the Local Government Division, and three others from the Ministry of Shipping.
Prior to the CCGP meeting, the 5th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for the current year, also chaired by Finance Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, took place.
Mahmudul noted that during this meeting, two proposals were approved in principle. These included a proposal from the Ministry of Shipping for the implementation of the “Development of Container Terminal-1 of Payra Port under PPP Model” and a proposal from the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division for the implementation of the “Establishment of International Nurses and Midwives Skills Training Institute,” both under the PPP initiative.
