Dhaka: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given the green light for the emergency procurement of 260,000 metric tonnes of fuel, including diesel and crude oil. This decision, made during a Tuesday meeting chaired by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, is aimed at bolstering national reserves in response to an unpredictable global energy landscape.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the Energy and Mineral Resources Division was granted approval to proceed with three significant import proposals. These will be conducted under the Direct Purchase Method (DPM) and Government-to-Government (G2G) agreements.
In an effort to mitigate potential supply chain disruptions, the committee sanctioned the acquisition of 100,000 metric tons of crude oil from Abeer Trade and Global Markets. Additionally, under a G2G framework, 60,000 metric tons of 0.5% sulfur gas oil will be sourced from Indonesia’s state-run PT Bumi Siak Pusako Zapin (BSP Zapin). Another 100,000 metric tons of 50 PPM sulfur diesel has been approved for purchase from Maxwell International SPC.
Not all proposals moved forward, however. The Energy and Mineral Resources Division withdrew two items from the agenda, including a plan to procure 100,000 metric tons of EN590-10 PPM sulfur diesel from ExxonMobil Kazakhstan Inc. (EMKI) and the import of 60,000 metric tons of 0.5% sulfur gas oil from Archer Energy LLC.
Officials emphasized the use of the direct purchase method to circumvent prolonged tendering processes, thereby ensuring a continuous energy supply as global markets remain volatile. The approved proposals will now be reviewed by the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) for final price verification and contract awarding.