Dhaka: The government has approved several procurement proposals to meet the country's increasing demand for essential commodities, including 55 lakh liters of soybean oil, 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer, and 50,000 metric tons of wheat. Additionally, the government sanctioned the purchase of 20,000 metric tons each of sugar and lentils. This decision was made during the 14th meeting of the Advisers' Council Committee on Government Purchase, chaired by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, at the Cabinet Division conference room in Bangladesh Secretariat. According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed emphasized the government's focus on procuring essential items, such as lentils, fertilizers, and wheat, to stabilize the market. He assured that efforts are being made to minimize the gap between production, import, and retail costs, ensuring the difference remains rational and manageable for consumers. Cabinet Division officials revealed that the Trading Corporation of Bangl adesh (TCB) will procure the soybean oil from Bashundhara Multi Food Products Ltd for approximately Taka 91.30 crore, with each liter costing Taka 166. The meeting also approved procurement of sugar and lentils through the local Open Tender Method (OTM). The TCB will acquire 20,000 metric tons of sugar from Meghna Sugar Refinery Ltd for a total of Taka 232.70 crore and 20,000 metric tons of lentils from Nabil Naba Foods Ltd for about Taka 195.19 crore. Furthermore, the Directorate General of Food will purchase 50,000 metric tons of wheat from M/S Agrocorp International Pte Ltd, Singapore, under the international OTM method, costing around Taka 171.65 crore. In addition, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) will procure 60,000 metric tons of urea fertilizer from KAFCO, Bangladesh, and SABIC Agri-nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia, for a combined total of approximately Taka 245.65 crore. These procurement initiatives are expected to enhance the supply of essential goods in the market, thereby co ntributing to price stability and ensuring accessibility for the general population.
