DHAKA: The government has sanctioned the procurement of 1.10 crore litres of edible oil, 10,000 metric tons of lentils, and 1,00,000 metric tons of fertilizers in a bid to address the increasing demand within the country. This decision was made during the first meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase (ACCGP) for the year, which took place at the Bangladesh Secretariat, chaired by Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed, the Adviser to the interim government on the Ministry of Finance.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will acquire 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil from Super Oil Refinery Limited through the local Open Tender Method (OTM) for the current fiscal year. The procurement is expected to cost approximately Taka 189.14 crore, with each litre priced at Taka 171.95. Additionally, TCB will source 10,000 metric tons of lentils from Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries Limited, also under OTM, at a cost of around Taka 94.95 crore, equating to Taka 94.95 per kilogram.
Further procurement plans include the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC), which will obtain 30,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Qatar Energy Marketing under the eighth lot for FY25. This purchase will involve a financial outlay of roughly Taka 127.68 crore, with each ton priced at $354.67. Moreover, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) under the Ministry of Agriculture will procure 40,000 metric tons of DAP fertilizer from MA’ADEN in Saudi Arabia at a cost of approximately Taka 296.16 crore, with each ton priced at $617.
In addition to these procurements, the BADC will also acquire 30,000 metric tons of TSP fertilizer from OCP NUTRICROPS SA in Morocco. This purchase, facilitated under a state-level agreement, is estimated to cost around Taka 158.40 crore, with each ton priced at $440. These strategic procurements aim to stabilize the domestic market and ensure the availability of essential commodities across the nation.