Govt to procure 2 cargos LNG, 1.20cr litres soybean oil

The government on Tuesday approved separate proposals for procuring some 2 cargos LNG, 1.20 crore litres of soybean oil and 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati boiled rice to meet the growing demand for the country.

The approvals came from the 14th meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase in this year held at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Dr Salehuddin said in the day's purchase committee meeting, proposals were approved related to the procurement of rice, LNG, lentil and soybean oil.

"The cost expenditure in all of today's purchase proposals was less compared to the past because we've made the process more competitive," he said.

The Finance Adviser said a few number of firms used to submit their bids earlier in the past. "But, following more opening up of the process, the competition has now increased and we're getting reasonable prices as well as it's also becoming cost efficient for us."

Following a proposal from the Ministry of Food, the government would procure 50,000 tonnes of non-Basmati boiled rice through the international open tender method (OTM) for the current fiscal year (FY25) from M/S Agrocorp International Pte Ltd, Singapore with around Tk 254.03 crore with per ton rice costing $416.44.

In response to two separate proposals from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the government would procure one cargo LNG from M/S Vitol Asia Pte Limited, Singapore from the spot market through an international quotation method with around Tk 593.75 crore while the government would procure another consignment of one cargo LNG from the spot market from M/S Total Energies Gas and Power Limited, United Kingdom with around Tk 607.66 crore.

Following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure 10,000 tonnes of lentils through the local OTM method from Sheikh Agro Food Industries, Dhaka with around Tk 92.75 crore, per kg lentil costing Tk 92.75.

Besides, the TCB will procure 1.20 crore liters of soybean oil from Life and Health (Thailand) Company Ltd with around Tk 187.39 crore, per liter of soybean oil costing $1.28.