Finance Minister
Covid-19: Govt to vaccinate 25 lakh people each month
With a plan to bring 80 percent people of the country under the mass immunisation programme in phases, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said the government will vaccinate 25 lakh people each month.
He came up with the announcement while presenting the national budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year in Parliament.
Also Read: Bangladesh's request for vaccine doses under active consideration: Miller
“Plans have been formulated to vaccinate 80 percent of people in phases. In the first phase, people with risks will be vaccinated and 25 lakh vaccines will be given each month,” the minister said.
Referring to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent announcement that the government will ensure free vaccination for all, Kamal said they will provide as much fund as it is needed to bear the expenses of procuring the required doses of vaccine. “We’ll make adequate allocation for this purpose in the budget.”
Also Read: COVID-19 vaccine: Bangladesh to get priority if China develops vaccine
He said the vaccination programme is being implemented at the field level through coordination between the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) and the Communication Disease Control (CDC).
Kamal said the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan has been prepared under the EPI to protect the lives of people from Covid-19.
“The government procured 3 crore doses of Covishield vaccine of Oxford-AstraZeneca from the Serum Institute of India. In addition, 6.80 crore doses will be available from the Covax facility under the World Health Organisation for 20 percent of our population, that is, for 3.40 crore people. Out of this 1.06 lakh doses have already been received,” he said.
The minister said there are plans to buy vaccines from the governments of China and Russia, Pfizer Co. from the USA and Sanofi/GSK from France/Belgium. “Negotiations are at the final stage for procuring Sinopharm vaccine from China and Sputnik-V vaccine from Russia, and, if necessary, manufacturing the same in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, 70 lakh doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine reached Bangladesh, and the governments of India and China gave 32 lakh doses and 5 lakh doses respectively of coronavirus vaccine as gifts.
The finance minister said the World Bank provided US$ 500 million for procuring vaccines and US$ 14.87 million for logistic support.
“Loan Agreement for US$ 940 million with the ADB to procure COVID vaccine is at the final stage. Alongside, there is a good possibility to receive support for vaccine procurement from the European Investment Bank and AIIB,” he added.
Budget: Road to Graduation: Finance Minister shares opportunities, challenges
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Thursday said Bangladesh's image in the outside world will brighten after the graduation to a developing economy, which will bring foreign investment and create jobs.
“Foreign investment will likely increase, which will lead to massive infrastructure development in the country, job creation, and improved living standards,” he said.
Also Read: Tk6 trillion budget in the works for 2021-22; govt eyes on capital expenditure
In his budget speech at Parliament, the Finance Minister said the graduation will increase the country's credit rating, which will enable Bangladesh to get low interest loans in foreign currency by issuing sovereign bonds.
He, however, said all the international opportunities that Bangladesh is currently enjoying as a least developed country will either be unavailable or be reduced in many cases after the transition from a least developed country.
These include: In the case of trade, duty-free and quota-free market facilities; exemption from patent protection to the pharmaceutical industry under the WTO's Trade Related Intellectual Property (TRIPS) Agreement; and subsidies on export products/industries will be reduced. Foreign loans and grants on concessionary terms will be reduced.
Also Read: Cabinet approves proposed budget for new fiscal
He said the graduation will also increase productivity and competitiveness in foreign trade, which will help increase export earnings.
The Minister said absence of benefits as a least developed country will create a kind of compulsion to export diversification, resulting in the creation of new export products and markets.
He said the product supply chain will be integrated and will create incentives and obligations to produce high value and high value added products.
The Minister said the massive increase in the demand for skilled manpower will create an opportunity to create a workforce suitable for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“It will be easy to move the country forward by implementing a unified and inclusive development strategy with all stakeholders, including development and trade partners, the private sector and civil society,” he said.
The Finance Minister said the government has taken various steps to address the challenges that Bangladesh will face as a result of its graduation from an LDC.
At the request of the government, the UNCDP has recommended that against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, the preparation period for the transition will be five years instead of three.
During this period, that is, until 2026, all international facilities will continue.
The LDC Group of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has put forward a proposal to ensure that all trade facilities pertaining to LDCs remain in force for another 12 years after transition.
Bangladesh has actively participated in this process, and is continuing its efforts to get this proposal accepted, said the Finance Minister.
He said the government has already taken steps to avail the advantage of GSP+ in EU countries after the graduation.
Initiatives have already been taken to sign preferential trade agreements with Bhutan and sign similar agreements with 11 other countries, the Minister said.
The government has already taken steps to set up 100 special economic zones, high-tech parks for technological advancement and implementation of various mega projects including the Padma Bridge, which will help create new jobs and increase national income, he said.
Finance Minister wants to spend big to deal with Covid
As Covid-19 has devastated normal life, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal proposed to allocate Tk 10,000 crore in the next fiscal year to meet the emergency requirements to respond to the pandemic.
While presenting it in Parliament on Thursday, the finance minister said the budget for FY2021-2022 has been prepared keeping in mind the strategies taken to facilitate the recovery in various sectors of Bangladesh from the shocks of the Covid-19 pandemic, especially to meet the challenges arising in the health sector and the vaccine application issue.
He said the global economy has been put at severe risk due to the prolonged effects of the pandemic and its second wave in different countries around the world.
Also read: Finance Minister writes a big cheque for health sector
Allocations have been made in the proposed budget to meet the targets of each ministry and divisions to address the adverse effect of the Covid-19 pandemic and vaccination strategy, management and steps.
The National Deployment and Vaccination Plan has been prepared under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) to protect the lives of people from the Covid-19.
The government procured 3 crore doses of Covishield vaccine of Oxford-AstraZeneca from the Serum Institute of India.
In addition, the minister said, 6.80 crore doses of coronavirus vaccine will be available from the Covax facility under the World Health Organization for 20 percent of Bangladesh population, that is for 3.40 crore people. Out of this, 1.06 lakh doses have already been received.
He said there are plans to buy vaccines from the governments of China and Russia, Pfizer Co. from the USA and Sanofi/GSK from France/Belgium.
Negotiations are at the final stage for procuring Sinopharm vaccine from China and Sputnik-V vaccine from Russia, and, if necessary, manufacturing the same in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, 70 lakh doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine reached Bangladesh, and the governments of India and China gave 32 lakh doses and 5 lakh doses respectively of coronavirus vaccine as gifts.
The World Bank provided US$ 500 million for procuring Covid vaccines and US$ 14.87 million for logistic support.
Also read: Budget: Road to Graduation: Finance Minister shares opportunities, challenges
A loan agreement for US$ 940 million with the ADB to procure vaccines is at the final stage. Alongside, there is a good possibility to receive support for vaccine procurement from the European Investment Bank and AIIB.
Vaccination Plan
The finance minister said plans have been devised to vaccinate 80 percent of people in phases and in the first phase, people with risks will be vaccinated, and 25 lakh vaccines will be given each month.
He said the vaccination programme is being implemented at the field level through coordination between the EPI and the Communication Disease Control (CDC).
The first dose of vaccination in Bangladesh began on February 7 while that of the second dose began on 8 April.
Registration for vaccination and distribution of vaccine certificates and vaccine cards are being done digitally through the surokkha.gov.bd web portal using National ID cards.
Following the recommendations of the Scientific Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) of the WHO and the National Immunisation Technical Advisory Group (NITAG) of Bangladesh and considering the reality of our country, people aged 40 or above are given priority in the Covid-19 vaccination programme, who constitute 20 percent of the total population.
The vaccination programme is conducted in 1,005 hospital-based vaccination centres across the country. Up to 31 May 2021, 58,22,157 people received vaccines, of which 36,10,635 are male and 22,11,522 are female.
Out of them, 41,73,930 have completed their second doses. The corona vaccine and logistic cold chain management are handled through the existing EPI in the country and the cold chain system of the Directorate General of Health Services.
To keep the regular vaccination programme uninterrupted, senior staff nurses, assistant community medical officers have been assigned as vaccinators.
Also read: Covid-19: Bangladesh logs 30 more deaths, 1,687 new infections
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced that the government will ensure free vaccination for all citizens of the country.
For this, the government will provide as much funds as is required to bear the expenses of procuring the required doses of vaccine, said the finance minister, adding, “We’ll make adequate allocations for this purpose in the budget.”
No new tender under Public Works Division until June 30
The government has suspended the contract awarding of all new tender proposals under the Public Works Division until June 30.
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase at a meeting on Wednesday put the moratorium as there is no enough time to implement any new project under the current fiscal year (2020-21).
“We don’t have enough time for implementing any new project. Only one month is left before the new fiscal year starts,” said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal while briefing reporters after a cabinet body meeting.
Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting as convener of the Cabinet body.
He, however, said only the proposals of the ongoing projects and foreign-funded ones will be considered for approval in addition to any cost variation.
“All the other projects will remain suspended. New projects involve different kinds of material purchase and the prices of which are not stable. We don’t know the prices of the materials of the projects under the Public Works Division in the current abnormal situation,” the minister said.
Cabinet Division’s additional secretary Dr Shahida Aktar said all the five proposals of the Public Works Department which were placed by the Public Works Division were rejected by the committee in compliance with the new decision.
Meanwhile, the cabinet body approved a total of eight other proposals, including the import of wheat, LNG and fertilizers, placed by different divisions and ministries.
Two of these proposals were placed by the Energy Division for import of LNG.
As per the proposals, state-owned Petrobangla will import 3.36 million MMBtu of liquified natural gas (LNG) from Excelerate Energy, United States, at a cost of Tk 318.25 crore from the international spot market through quotation at $9.93 per MMBtu of LNG.
Another similar proposal for the import of the same quantity of 3.36 million MMBtu of LNG at Tk 298.22 crore was approved by the committee. The per MMBtu was valued at $8.93, which was earlier purchased in the same process.
The committee also approved a proposal of the Directorate General of Food under the Food Ministry to import 50,000 metric tons of non-Bashmoti parboiled rice from Soubhik Export Limited, India, at a total cost of Tk 163.66 crore. Each metric ton of rice was valued at $386 while each kg of rice will be priced Tk 32.73.
The bulk rice will be imported through railway from West Bengal’s Chhattrishgar to Dorshana via Benapole.
This is the first time rice is being imported through railways from India, said Dr Shahida Aktar.
Two proposals, placed by the Agriculture Ministry, were approved by the committee for the import of fertiliser.
Of these, the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) will import 180,000 metric tons of MOP fertiliser from Belarus at a cost of Tk 447.82 crore with each MT being priced $289.87.
The BADC will import 150,000 MT of TSP fertiliser from Tunisia at a cost of Tk 723.77 crore -- each MT at $568.
The Cabinet committee approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to procure 30,000 MT of urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company at a cost of Tk 92.38 crore. Each MT of fertiliser was valued at $362.50 per MT.
A proposal of the Secondary and Higher Education Division also received the approval of the committee to award a contract to Korean Company THAIHAN Consortium for supplying hardware and services for the project titled: Establishment of 160 Upazila ICT Training and Resource for Education Phase -II. The contract was valued at Tk 460 crore.
Proposals to set up 15 MW HFO-power plant in Hatiya, 40,000 SHS in hill districts get nod
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase in a virtual meeting on Wednesday (April 28, 2021) approved 5 proposals including one for setting up a 15 MW Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) fired power plant in Hatiya island of Noakhali and another for installing 40,000 solar home systems (SHS) in three hill districts.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the online meeting.
Read Finally, Payra power plant ready to operate at full blast
According to a proposal of the Power Division, Desh Energy Ltd. will set up the 15 MW power plant at Hatiya Island from which the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity for over the next 15 years.
The levelised tariff of each kilowatt hour (each unit) of electricity was set at US Cents 12.1042 and they government has to spend Tk 1,396.15 crore in the next 15 years to purchase the power from the plant.
Read Rooftop solar power: 'Net metering can ensure cheaper electricity for garment factories
The Parbatya Chattagram Unnayan Board (PCUB) under the Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Ministry will set up 40,000 solar home systems, each having 100 watt peak, and 2,500 community solar system, each having 320 watt peak, at the three hill districts.
The PCUB will purchase the entire solar home systems from BGB Welfare Trust at a cost of Tk 204.37 crore.
Also read: Poor people to get highest priority in next budget: Finance Minister
The committee approved a Railway Ministry’s proposal for extending the contract value of consultancy services for setting up of 3rd and 4th dualgauge rail line at Dhaka-Tongi Section with signaling and dualgauge double line at Tongi section by Tk 16.03 crore.
The Joint Venture of Aarvee Associates Architects Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd., India and Ayesa Ingenieria Y Arquitectura, India have been engaged in the project as consultant.
Two separate proposals of the Public Works Department under the Ministry of Housing and Public Works received approval of the committee.
Read Solar Home System: IDCOL partners seek govt intervention in loan write-off issue.
The first proposal was awarding contract for the civil works lot No-1 of the Narshingdi District Jail Construction project to Noorani Construction Ltd., at a contract value of Tk 67.30 crore while the second proposal was awarding contract to Wahid Construction Ltd., for civil construction work of Expansion of National Institute of Neuroscience and Hospitals at Tk 124.31 crore.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in principle approved four proposals.
The committee approved a proposal of the Secondary and Higher Education Division to award 36 segments of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University’s permanent campus construction project through direct procurement method (DPM) to different contractors.
Read Bangladesh's SHS provides clean energy for 20 million people
A proposal of the Health Services Division received approval of the committee to procure RT-PCR test Kits and PCR Lab Consumables through Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) from different private companies through DPM.
These items will be procured to face the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also read: No uncertainty over receiving vaccine doses: Finance Minister
Another similar proposal of the same division was also approved by the committee to procure health protection and medical equipment from private companies through the CMSD by the same method.
The committee also approved the health ministry’s proposal to procure vaccine technology from Russian and China to produce it locally.
Read Govt rooftops can generate 2000 MW of solar power, say experts
Cabinet purchase body nods LNG import
Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday approved eight procurement proposals including the import of LNG.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting.
As per a proposal, placed by Energy and Mineral Resources Division, state-owned Petrobangla will import 3.360 million MMBtu of LNG from Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore, at a cost of Tk 267.57 crore. Each unit will cost $8.01.
Also read: Cabinet purchase body approves LNG, rice import
Three proposals of the Roads Transport and Highways Division received the nod of the Cabinet body.
As per the proposals, Roads and Highways Department will award a Tk 188.35 crore contract to Spectra Engineers Ltd, under package No-PW-02 of its Project “Installing Excel Load Control Centre at the Transport Sourcing Points in the Important Highways”.
The Roads and Highways Department will extend the cost of 25km road improvement from Cox’s Bazar to Ukhia by Tk 13.43 crore under the package No-WP-01 of Cox’s Bazar-Tekhnaf Road Development project and also Tk 16 crore for 25km road improvement from Ukhia to Unchiprang road of the same project under the package No-WP-02.
Also read: Will seek details of Vitol Asia on LNG supply: Finance Minister
The committee approved two proposals of the Railway Ministry.
As per approval, Bangladesh Railway (BR) will award a contract of Tk 433.78 crore to Joint Venture of (1) CREC and (2) CCCL, Dhaka, to implement the project: Construction of Broadguage Rail Truck from Madhukhali to Madura via Kamarkhali under its package No-WD-1.
The BR will award Tk 448.98 crore contract to Joint Venture of (1) CRCC and (2) MAHL, Dhaka, to implement the work under the package No-WD-02 of the same project.
Also read: Cabinet body okays LNG import from int’l spot market
The Cabinet body approved a proposal of the Health Services Division to procure Tk 80,734 cartons of 27 kinds of drugs from the state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited, for community-based healthcare (CBHC) authority through direct procurement method.
Poor people to get highest priority in next budget: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said that the improvement of life and livelihood of the poor people will get highest priority in the next national budget.
“Our next national budget will be dedicated to the poor people,” he said while briefing reporters on the outcomes of the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday.
Responding to a question on a survey report which shows that poor people are getting poorer, he said the government’s target is to bring the poor people out of poverty.
Also read: No uncertainty over receiving vaccine doses: Finance Minister
He informed that implementation of a government plan to provide Tk 2,500 each to 3.5 million low-income group people as Covid-19 financial support is getting delayed due to lack of introduction of a formal system.
“Many of these people don’t have national ID cards for which setting up a system is being delayed. But once the system is in place, the task will be very easy,” he said.
Bangladesh to demand 10pc of funds for Rohingyas in Bhasan Char: FM
Bangladesh will demand 10 percent of the funds that the humanitarian agencies raise in the name of Bangladesh and Rohingyas if they do not provide services to 100,000 Rohingyas to be shifted to Bhasan Char gradually, says Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.
“Yes, they’ll have to pay because the funds are coming for Rohingyas. We’ll demand 10 percent of the fund if they don’t want to provide services to Rohingyas in Bhasan Char,” he told UNB in an interview at his residence on Friday.
Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar district and the government has a plan to shift 100,000 Rohingyas to Bhasan Char gradually which has already started.
The Foreign Minister said it should not be the headache of the humanitarian agencies where Rohingyas are living.
Also read: Rohingyas want to return to Myanmar; happy with Bhasan Char facilities
“It’s not a matter whether Rohingyas are living in Kutupalong, Cox’s Bazar, Barishal or in Bhasan Char. That shouldn’t be their headache. Their headache should be providing services to Rohingyas. They’re obligated to give them services wherever they stay,” Dr Momen said.
If the humanitarian agencies do not provide services to Rohingyas, Member States will not give funds which will put them in hardship, he said.
The Foreign Minister said they do not know how the UNHCR and other agencies spend the money though they raise funds in the name of Rohingyas and host communities.
Responding to a question on the technical team’s observation on Bhasan Char, the Foreign Minister said, “They’ve a very good and positive observation. Concisely, they’ve given a positive observation.”
He said they will hand over a 10-page report based on their observations and they have already submitted a two-page synopsis.
An 18-member UN delegation visited Bhasan Char in March to have a firsthand view of the housing facility for 100,000 Rohingyas.
Also read: Japan announces $1 million emergency aid for Rohingya camp fire victims
In their two-page synopsis, the team pointed out three points – education for Rohingya children, increasing heights of the embankments and better communication system.
Dr Momen said Bangladesh has no problem in providing education to Rohingyas but it has to be in Myanmar language.
“Rohingyas will have to go back to Myanmar. So, education in Myanmar curriculum will help Rohingyas integrate in their society easily once they return home,” he said.
About further increasing the heights of the embankments, Dr Momen said they will certainly do it for their own needs.
Also read: UN agencies ramp up response for Rohingya refugees after ‘unprecedented’ fire
ECOSOC Forum: Dhaka stresses mitigating gaps ICT, health, education gaps
Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations Ambassador Rabab Fatima has said the lack of infrastructure, especially in the areas of ICT, health, and education is acutely felt during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
"Therefore, it should be our urgent priority to build adequate infrastructure in all these areas," she said.
The envoy made remarks while speaking at a virtual panel discussion on ‘Accelerating infrastructure investments for a sustainable and resilient recovery and restoring trade’ at the ECOSOC (United Nations Economic and Social Council) Forum on Financing for Development in New York on Tuesday.
Highlighting the critical importance of digital infrastructure for providing vital services to people, Ambassador Fatima urged the developed countries to ensure much needed technology transfer to LDCs and other vulnerable countries.
Also read: ECOSOC chief focuses on pandemic, SDGs, climate action
She also underscored the importance of ensuring fast recovery from the pandemic as well as better resilience against current and future shocks.
Ambassador Fatima called for the integration of the disasters and climate change issues into investment decisions to build long-term sustainability and resilience.
Underlining the weaknesses of the global supply chain infrastructure, she emphasized the need for further improvement of trade infrastructure including in the areas of transit, transportation, and shipping etc.
The envoy put specific focus on the grants and long-term concessional financing in infrastructure investment, public-private financing, blended financing, south-south and triangular cooperation etc.
She urged the advanced economies to fulfill their unmet promises in the areas of DFQF market access and other trade benefits to LDCs.
Also read: Bangladesh elected ECOSOC member
The 2021 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development is being held from 12-15 April 2021 in New York.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal is leading the Bangladesh delegation.
He delivered a pre-recorded statement at the special segment of the Forum held on April 12.
Bangladesh also participated in the Special High-level Meeting with the Bretton Woods Institutions (World Bank and IMF), WTO and UNCTAD on Tuesday.
Cabinet purchase body approves LNG, rice import
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase approved seven proposals including the import of liquified natural gas (LNG) from a Swiss company and rice from an Indian company.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting.
State-owned Petrobangla, under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, will import the 3.360 million MMBtus of LNG from AOT Trading AG, Switzerland at a cost of Tk 243.3 crore with per MMBtu price at $7.2855.
Also read: Purchase body okays 6 proposals including import of LNG, rice
The Directorate General of Food under the Food Ministry will import 50,000 metric tonnes of non-bashmoti parboiled rice from PK Agri Link Private Ltd, India, at cost of Tk 174.65 crore, with per MT price at $411.93.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet committee approved a proposal of the Roads and Highways Department to award Tk 103.37 crore contract to the Joint Venture of Reliable Builders Ltd, Md Moyenuddin (Bashi) Limited and Orient Trading & Builders Ltd, for implementing package No-WP-02 of the project on Improvement of Shariatpur (Monohar Bazar)-Ibrahimpur Road upto Ferry Ghat.
The committee approved awarding Tk 106.84 crore contract to the Joint Venture of Md Badrul Iqbal Ltd, Hassan Techno Builders Ltd, and Oyster Construction and Shipping Company Ltd, for implementing the works of the package WP-03 of the same project.
Also read: Govt to import 3.5 lakh MT more rice
Another project of the Roads and Highways Department received approval of the committee to award a contract of Tk 788.38 crore to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, India, for implementing the package No-WP-03 for upgrading Ashuganj Riverport-Sarai’s-Dharkhar-Akhawra Highway into four lanes and its maintenance work.
The committee approved a proposal of Tk 243.18 crore of the Bridge Authority under the Bridges Division to award a contract for appointing consultant for conducting feasibility study about construction of bridges on Shariatpur-Chandpur Highway and Gazaria Munshiganj Road for crossing the Meghna River to connect Chandpur and Shariatpur districts.
Also read: Cabinet purchase body nods import of rice, fertiliser, petroleum
A Joint Venture of Tecnica Y Proyectos SA (TYPSA), Spain, Nippon Koei Co Ltd, Japan, DOHWA Engineering Co Ltd, South Korea, Development Design Consultants Ltd Bangladesh, BCL Associates Ltd, Bangladesh and Dev Consultants Ltd, Bangladesh, won the contract.
The committee approved a proposal of Public Works Department for re-evaluation of the tender proposal for the work package of WD-01 of the Khulna Development Authority’s Khulna Shipyard Road Widening and Development Works by cancelling the recommendation of Tender Evaluation Committee (TEC).