Cabinet Committee
8 projects get go-ahead of Cabinet Purchase Committee
The Cabinet Committee on public purchase (CCPP) approved a total of 8 proposals including setting up 660 MW gas-fired plant in Meghnaghat in Gazaria of Munshiganj by private sector, import fertilizer and purchase of Corona Virus RT-qPCR Diagnostic kits.
Finance Minister AHM Musafa Kamal presided over the virtually held cabinet body meeting on Sunday.
As per proposals, Consortium of (1) Edra Power Holdings Sdn Bhd, Malaysia and (2) Winnievision Power Ltd, Bangladesh, will set up the 660 MW combined cycle plant on unsolicited basis under the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy Act (special provision) 2010.
The state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity from the plant over a period of 22 years at a levelised power tariff of 3.679 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 2.94) per kilowatt hour if it is run by local gas.
But if the plant is run by imported re-gasified liquefied natural gas (R-LNG), the tariff will be 6.7972 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 5.4377) kilowatt hour (per unit).
The government will have to Pay Tk 69,165 crore to the consortium to purchase the electricity from the plant over the contracted period of 22 years.
Another proposal of the Power Division that received the nod of the committee to extend a deal with India for another 5 years to import 160 MW electricity from its Tripura state.
Read: Cabinet body okays imports of rice & fertilisers
The committee approved a proposal of the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD) under the public health division to procure 2 million CoronaVirus RT-qPCR Diagnostic kits (with VTM and swab) from three suppliers Sterling Multi Technologies Ltd, Dhaka; OMC (Pvt) Ltd. Dhaka; and G.S Biotech, Narayanganj, at a cost of Tk 117.41 crore.
Three separate proposals of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation under the Industries Ministry received the nod of the committee to import a total of 90,000 metric tons of urea fertilizers.
Of these, the BCIC will purchase 30,000 MT of fertilizer from each of the three suppliers—Kafco of Bangladesh, Muntajat of Qatar and Sabic of Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) gave in principle approval to four separate proposals.
As per a proposal of the Public Transport Division under the Ministry of Establishment, 50 Mitsubishi Pajero sports jeeps will be purchased for the Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) from the state-owned Progoti Industries through direct procurement method.
The CCEA gave approval to a proposal of the Roads and Highway Department to cancel its decision to implement its project titled: Implementation of Dhaka –Chattagram Expressway Construction under PPP.
Read: Fertiliser demand rescheduled for fiscal year 2020-21
The committee approved another proposal of the Roads and Highway Department to implement its project—Hatirjheel-Rampura Bridge-Banasri-Shekhertek-Amulia Highway Improvement into four lane—through public private partnership (PPP).
As per the decision, now the project will be awarded to the Consortium of (1) China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCCL) and (2) China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to work as PPP partner.
A proposal of the Health Directorate under Public Health Service Division received the nod of the CCEA to import 27.64 crore syringes from China National Pharmaceuticals Foreign Trade Corporation under the direct procurement method for vaccinating 13.82 crore people.
The syringes will be purchased to achieve a target to vaccinate 2 crore people every month against the coronavirus.
Proposals for LNG, petroleum, wheat import get clearance
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase at a meeting on Wednesday approved 12 proposals, including the import of LNG, liquid petroleum and wheat.
The meeting also endorsed the installation of a 50MW solar power plant in private sector to supply electricity to the government entity.
Besides, two proposals received approval in principle of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affair (CCEA) for the purchase of a huge number of syringes to be used for Covid-19 vaccination and also the import of petroleum for meeting local demands.
As per the approvals of the CCEA, the Department of Drug Administration under the Public Health Service Division received a nod to procure 11 crore auto disable (AD) syringes for vaccinating people from the local JMI Syringes and Medical Devices through a direct procurement method.
The BPC will purchase 80,000 metric tons of furnace oil, known as heavy fuel oil, from different countries under the G-to-G contracts.
Read Cabinet committee approves 4 proposals, including LNG import
Of the proposals approved by the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase, the state-owned Petrobangla will import some 33.60 lakh MMBtu LNG (liquefied natural gas) from the international spot market through quotation.
Vitol Asia Pte, Singapore, will supply the bulk LNG at a rate of $29.89 per million British thermal units (MMBtu).
About the proposal, State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid said so far this has been the highest rate at which Bangladesh has to import LNG from international market.
“We don’t there where the price will go up….the prices of both gas and liquid petroleum are rising fast... it’s a big concern for us,” he told UNB.
A proposal of the Power Division under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources to set up a 50MW solar power plant by a private sponsor received the approval.
As per the proposal, the Joint Venture of (1) Hero Future Energies Asia Pte Ltd, Singapore and (2) Business Research International Corporation Inc. (BRIC), Panama will set up the plant in Terkhada area in Khulna and the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity over 20 years.
Read Bangladesh signs MoU with Malaysia on LNG supply
Nasrul Hamid said pharmaceutical company Reneta is the local agent of the BRIC.
The BPDB will have to pay a total of Tk 1,328.90 crore to the sponsor company for the purchase of the electricity at a rate of 10.25 US Cents (equivalent to Tk 8.20) per kilowatt hour.
Another proposal of the power division also received the approval of the committee to award a contract to J&C Impex Ltd., Dhaka, to procure and install the Hot Gas Path Inspection of the Gas Turbine of the 225 MW Shikolbaha Power Station at Chattogram at a contract value of Tk 102.94 crore.
A proposal of the Food Directorate General of Food Ministry to import 50,000 metric tons of wheat from Singapore-based Agrocorp International Pte Ltd. at Tk 179.53 crore received the committee’s approval.
The committee also approved proposals for awarding contracts for printing and supply of books for education boards, import of 30,000 metric tons of fertilizer and construction of a number of roads under the roads and highways department.
Ad-hoc committee option planned to arrange Bar election in unusual situation
Law Minister Anisul Huq on Wednesday placed the Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 with a provision of allowing the government to form an ad-hoc committee for a maximum one-year tenure to arrange the Bar Council election in an unusual situation.
It was approved by the Cabinet on July 26 and later the President promulgated the Ordinance on July 28.
The ordinance was promulgated as Parliament was not there in session at that time. As per rules, the ordinance was placed in Parliament on the first day of the session for its approval.
As per the ordinance, if the regular Bar Council election can’t be held by May 31 after every three years, the government can form a 15-member ad-hoc committee for a maximum one year.
In the existing Bangladesh Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Order, 1972, there is no alternative provision, if the regular election cannot be arranged in time due to any natural disaster or something else like ‘acts of God’.
It said, elections to the Bar Council shall always be held so as to conclude on or before the [thirty first day of May] in the year in which the term of the Bar Council expires.
READ: Parliament goes into 14th session
As per the new Ordinance, elections to the Bar Council shall be held so as to conclude on or before the thirty first day of May in the year in which the term of the Bar Council expires.
It said if the elections to the Bar Council cannot be held within the time specified in clause due to pandemic, epidemic, act of God or for any other unavoidable circumstances as may be determined by the government from time to time, the government may, by notification in the official Gazette, constitute an Ad-hoc Bar Council consisting of fifteen members for a term not exceeding one year and this term shall not be further extended.
The Attorney-General for Bangladesh shall be one of the members of the Ad-hoc Bar Council and shall also be its Chairman, it said.
READ: Parliament session will begin on Sept 1
“Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provision of this Order, the Ad-hoc Bar Council shall exercise such powers and functions of the Bar Council as specified in this Order and the rules made thereunder,” it added.
Cabinet committee approves 4 proposals, including LNG import
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Thursday approved the import of 3.360 million MMBtu of liquified natural gas (LNG) at international spot market.
The state-owned Petrobangla will procure the bulk LNG from AOT Trading AG, Switzerland at a cost of Tk 436.47 crore with each unit price at $13.069.
READ: Cabinet committee for 9th wage board reconstituted
The committee also gave nod to a proposal of the railway ministry to appoint the Joint Venture of (2) RITES Ltd India, and (2) Aarvee Associates Architects Engineers & Consultant Ptv Ltd. India as consultant for construction of dual gauge rail truck from Bogra to Shahid Mansur Ali Station of Sirajganj project at a value to Tk 97.56 crore.
A proposal of the industries ministry was also approved by the committee for import of 30,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid from Dubai-based Sun International and Gentrade FZE, UAE.
READ: Bangladesh signs MoU with Malaysia on LNG supply
Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation will import the acid for its DAP Fertiliser Company at a total cost of Tk 177.34 crore with per ton price at $353.400.
Cabinet body okays 10 proposals including import of petroleum fuel, LNG
The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday approved 10 procurement proposals including import of 1.235 million mts of petroleum fuel and 3.360 million MMBtu liquified natural gas (LNG) .
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the Cabinet body meeting.
Read: Cabinet body okays proposal to procure 1.5 crore Chinese Sinopharm vaccine
According to the meeting decisions, state-owned Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) will import 1.234 million mts of petroleum fuel in different packages from Unipec Singapore Pte Ltd. Singapore, Petro China International (Singapore) Pte Ltd., VitoI Asia Pte Ltd., Singapore, and Emirates National Oil Company Pte Ltd, Singapore., at a total cost of Tk 5,774.45 crore (equivalent to about $683.366 million) over the next six months from June-December 2021.
The supplier companies were selected through international quotation, said Shamsul Arefin, additional secretary to the Cabinet Division while briefing reporters on the issue.
He, however, did not disclose what will be the premium of the product and which item of petroleum will be imported from the companies.
The Petrobangla and its subordinate body RPGCL will import 3.360 million MMBtu of LNG from Excelerate Energy LP, United States at a contract value of Tk 313.68 crore. The unit price of the LNG was not disclosed.
Read: Cabinet body clears proposal to purchase 30,000MT urea
The Cabinet committee approved a proposal of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) for awarding of a contract for procurement of design, development, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of telecom monitoring system for the telecom networks and systems of Bangladesh from TKC Telecom Inc, Canada at a cost of Tk 77.65 crore.
A proposal of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) to procure 3 passenger cruise vessels from Karnaphuli Ship Builders at Tk 231.13 crore received the approval of the committee.
The Cabinet body gave nod to a proposal of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority to appoint a service provider at Tk 218.71 crore for collecting fees and taxes from motor vehicles through online for next five years.
However, it was not disclosed which company won the contract for the job.
Read:Cabinet body OKs import of 250,000MT rice
Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) received the committee’s approval for procuring 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertiliser Company (Kafco) at a value of Tk 87.63 crore.
The Cabinet body approved a proposal of the Bangladesh Railway to change 9 points of the PCC (Particular Conditions of Contract) of the Commercial Contract and also its supplementary agreement -2 of the Padma Bridge Rail Connection Project with Chana Railway Group of China (CRÈC).
Shamsul Arefin said though the conditions of the contract will be changed, but it will not have any effect on the contract value.
Corruption hurts me as it does others: Finance Minister
Reiterating that about 15 new laws, including some amendments to the existing laws, will be passed in parliament in the next 6 months to prevent money laundering, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Wednesday said it causes him great pain when he sees corruption.
“You’ll see a substantial fall in corruption once those laws are passed by Parliament,” he said while briefing reporters about the decisions of the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase on Wednesday.
The finance minister said he feels the same pain as other people do when it comes to money laundering.
READ: Finance Minister dismisses the claim of 2.5 crore new poor
Mustafa Kamal said efforts are going on to detect money launderers. “Those who were identified were either sentenced to jail or put on trial. Trials are on,” he said.
He said there are two reasons behind money laundering -- some people do it looking for a better place to invest and some others do it out of their greed.
“If we can create a better investment environment, then those people will invest here instead of investing abroad,” he said.
Speaking in Parliament on June 7, he said there was a time when sand used to be imported in the name of cement and one product used to be brought in the name of another product. “Now under-invoicing and over-invoicing are hardly done. But I don’t say such things have stopped completely. We hardly see these things in the newspaper,” he added.
Kamal said he knows how such irregularities are committed but does not know who are doing these. “Once such things had happened due to inefficient systems and ineffective management. These things will have to be stopped completely.”
READ: Zero tolerance for corruption in financial sector: Finance Minister
He said the government will frame new laws aiming to reform the systems in the financial sector. “We’ll enact new laws so that our banks and financial institutions can run their activities smoothly with responsibility. We’ll create the scope. I’m assuring you.”
Responding to a question, Mustafa Kamal today told journalists that Bangladesh will consider lending from its foreign exchange reserves to neighbouring countries if the returns in this regard are good.
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
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.
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).