Finance Minister
No uncertainty over receiving vaccine doses: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has ruled out any uncertainty over receiving vaccine doses from the Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd.
“We’ve already paid for the vaccine. So... we’ll get it,” he told reporters while briefing virtually on the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday.
Also read: Vaccine drive to continue with AstraZeneca shot: Health Secretary
He informed that the second dose of vaccine will be administered in time.
He also said that the health minister had also attended the purchase body meeting and did not express any apprehension over uncertainty about receiving the vaccine doses.
Also read: Virus variants, vaccine inequity responsible for rising Covid caseload: WHO
Mustafa Kamal also turned down the idea of going for lockdown to contain coronavirus transmission. He said there will be no need for any such measures as the vaccination programme has been continuing.
“Once vaccination is completed, the situation will improve,” he said. “The countries, which are running the vaccination programme, are witnessing a fall in infection.”
Also read: Modi to bring 12 lakh more vaccine doses as gift for Bangladesh
Responding to a question on World Bank’s economic growth projection at 3.6 percent, the Finance Minister said the donor agency makes such projection on quarterly basis and the government does it annually.
Cabinet purchase body approves import of 50,000MT rice
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday approved six proposals, including import of 50,000 metric tonnes of rice.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the meeting.
Rice import has been dominating as a regular agenda in the purchase body meeting since the beginning of 2021.
Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Sahida Akter, while briefing on the purchase committee meeting outcomes, said that the Directorate General of Food under the Food Ministry will import the 50,000MT non-bashmoti parboiled rice from Bagadiya Brothers Private Ltd of India at a cost of Tk 176.38 crore.
Also read: Purchase body okays 6 proposals including import of LNG, rice
Each MT will cost $416, Akter added.
The committee approved a proposal of the state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) under the Energy and Mineral Resources Division to import 100,000MT crude oil from PT Bumi Siak Pusaku (BSP) Zapin of Indonesia under a government-to-government contract at a cost of Tk 431.14 crore for Bashundhara Bitumen/Asphalt production plant in Keraniganj.
About the proposal, BPC Director (operation and planning) Syed Mehedi Hasan said the state-owned petroleum body will import the proposed crude oil for the private bitumen plant under a contract with the Bashundhara Oil and Gas Company Ltd.
Also read: Govt to import 3.5 lakh MT more rice
A proposal of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Industries Ministry received the nod of the Cabinet committee to purchase 30,000MT bagged granular urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco) at a cost of Tk 90.59 crore.
The Cabinet body approved another proposal of the BCIC to import Reformed Gas Waste Heat Boiler and associated equipment from BORSIG Process Heat Exchange GmbH, Germany, at a cost of Tk 56.65 crore through direct procurement method.
The committee approved a proposal of the Roads and Highways Department under the Road Transport and Highways Division to extend the contract of the Computer Network System Limited as service provider for six months up to September 30, 2021 for collecting tolls from Meghna Bridge and Gomti Bridge on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway at cost of Tk 35.57 crore.
Also read: Cabinet purchase body nods import of rice, fertiliser, petroleum
A proposal of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) under the Ministry of Shipping was approved to purchase 10 bollard pull tugboats with spare parts, each having 12 tons capacity, from Dockyard and Engineering Works at Tk 166.97 crore through direct purchase method.
No decision yet to lend private sector from forex reserves: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said that no decision has been taken yet to lend the private sector from the country’s foreign currency reserves.
“So far we haven’t taken any decision to provide loans to the private sector from the forex reserve”, he told reporters while briefing on the proceedings of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday.
Also read: Finance minister goes to Singapore for treatment
He, however, said the government decided to lend from the forex reserve only to the public sector entities.
“But no policy guideline is yet to be formulated in this regard. The government entities will get the fund once a policy is formulated and the issue is incorporated in the policy,”he said.
The finance minister’s remarks came against the backdrop of a recent decision taken by the government to finance the Payra port development project from the foreign exchange reserves, now remaining under custody of the Bangladesh Bank.
Also read:Finance Minister optimistic about achieving huge revenue collection target
A number of private companies, especially those in the power sector, has been pursuing the government to allow the Bangladesh Bank to lend them from the forex reserves.
Defending the government’s decision, Mustafa Kamal said it is like transferring a public fund from government’s one hand to another hand. “It’s good finance public sector project from the government fund as it will be less costly”, he claimed.
Referring to a decision of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs Committee, the Finance Minister said the committee approved a proposal of the Ministry of Shipping that capital and maintenance dredging at Ranadabad Channel of the Payra port project will be implemented by the government fund through awarding contract to a bidder through direct procurement method (DPM).
Earlier, there was a proposal to implement the project under public private partnership.
The committee also approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) under Agriculture Ministry to purchase 800 metric tons of JR-524 standard jute seeds from National Seed Corporation (NSC) of India through direct procurement method.
Also read:Fix your problems before govt starts taking action: FnM to bankers
The Finance Minister said Bangladesh has consistently been doing well in achieving economic growth. Bangladesh would have been 5th Asian Tiger if the Covid-19 situation had not arisen, he said.
Govt to import 3.5 lakh MT more rice
The government will import 350,000 metric tons of rice more in the coming days as the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its nod in principle to a proposal of the Directorate General of Food on Wednesday.
Covid-19 impact: NBR devises ways to boost revenue collection
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has devised five strategies to boost its revenue collection offsetting the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Will seek details of Vitol Asia on LNG supply: Finance Minister
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal has said that the concerned ministry will be asked to provide details about Vitol Asia, a company selected for supplying liquefied natural gas (LNG) worth Tk 623.63 crore to the country.
Foodgrain import: Government to cut bidding time
The government will cut the bidding time for foodgrain import from the international market.
LDC graduation’s gains to outweigh any losses
Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal on Saturday said graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status would be a matter of great honour and pride for the country.
Bangladesh to gain new commercial facilities post-LDC graduation: FBCCI
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) president Sheikh Fazle Fahim on Saturday said there would be new facilities in trade and commerce to be gained from graduating out of the Least Development Countries (LDCs), besides improving the country’s status.
Bangladesh cancels importing rice from Myanmar in wake of military takeover
Bangladesh has turned down a proposal to import 100,000 metric tons of rice from Myanmar due to the current situation in the neighboring nation.