State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will procure 2.25 crore (22.5 million) litres of soybean oil and 15,000 metric tonnes of lentils from local private firms through direct procurement method (DPM) for its open market sale (OMS) programme  .

Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved a number of separate proposals placed by the Commerce Ministry in this regard as the TCB, the state marketing agency under the ministry, will buy the commodities under different lots.

Read:TIB’s report on TCB products not based on proper information: Commerce Minister

As per the proposals, some 30,00,000 litres of soybean oil will be procured from Basundhara Multi Food Products Ltd at a cost of Tk 54.90 crore while 55,00,000 litres from City Edible Oil Ltd at Tk 101.75 crore, 85,00,000 litres from Meghna Edible Oil Refinery Limited at 156.63 crore, and 55,00,00 litres from Super Oil Refinery Ltd at a cost of Tk 101.75 crore.

Each litre of soybean oil will cost between Tk 183 and Tk 185. All the quantities of soybean oil will be procured through direct procurement method sidelining the open tender procedure. 

The TCB will procure 5,000 mts  of lentil each from Blue Sky Enterprises Dhaka, Masud & Brothers of Chattogram Masud & Brothers, Chattogram and Ruby Food Products Ltd., of Chattogram

Each kg of lentil will cost Tk 110, the same price from all firms, while the entire 15,000 mts will cost Tk 165 crore.  

The Cabinet body also approved two separate proposals of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) under the Agriculture Ministry to procure a total of 90,000 metric tons of fertilizer.

Read: TCB to procure 125 lakh litres soybean oil, 5000 kg lentil from 7 local suppliers

Of the bulk agro-inputs, some 50,000 MT of Muriate of potash (MOP) fertiliser will be imported from Canadian Commercial Corporation at a cost of Tk 386.19 crore with each metric ton costing $812.62 while previous price was $914.

 Some 40,000 mt of DAP fertilizer will be imported by BADC from OCP, SA of Morocco at cost of Tk 296.93 crore with each metric ton costing $781 against an earlier price of $914.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at a meeting approved in principle two separate proposals on rice import.

As per a proposal, the Directorate General of Food will import 400,000 metric tons of rice through direct purchase method (DMP) from rice exporting countries.

Under another proposal, the Directorate General of Food was allowed to curtail the 42 days obligation to 15 days for submission of tender proposal by suppliers to procure rice from the international market to facilitate emergency import of rice.