Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) , the state marketing agency, will import 33 million (3.30 crore) litres of soybean oil from two companies, one from United Arab Emirates and another from Canada, through direct purchase method (DPM) without any tender process. Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) in a meeting on Wednesday approved a proposal placed by the Commerce Ministry in this regard. The committee also approved two separate proposals on fertiliser import which shows that the price of urea fertiliser has substantially decreased in the global market. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the virtual meeting while members of the committee joined it. Read: TCB to procure soyabean oil, lentil and sugar from business groups According to the proposal, some 22 million (2.20 crore) litres of edible oil will be procured from Ferrani Polaska Spzoo Food Stuff Trading LLC, UAE (local agent: Shan Trading Ltd, Dhaka) while 11 million (1.10 crore) litres of oil from Canada INC, Canada (local agent: Haque Group, Dhaka). The entire import will cost Tk 448.82 crore, with each litre costing $1.44 (equivalent to Tk 136) valuing each dollar Tk 94.45. The TCB will sell the edible oil in bottles, each having two litres of oil. Besides, Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Industries Ministry will procure 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertiliser from Karnaphuli Fertilizer Company Limited (Kafco) at a cost of Tk 157.32 crore, with each metric ton costing $557.87. Earlier, such price was $567.50 per metric ton.     The BCIC will import another 30,000 mt of bulk granular urea fertiliser from Saudi Arabia-based SABIC Agri-nutrients Company at a cost of Tk 158.15 crore, each metric ton costing $560.83. Earlier such price was 597.57 per metric ton. Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved two proposals in principle for import of fertiliser under state-to-state contracts. Under these contracts, BCIC will import 3.6 lakh metric tons of urea fertiliser from Fertiglobe Distribution Ltd, UAE, Qatar under state to state agreement while Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC) will import one lakh (100,000) metric tons of MOP fertiliser from UAE-based Falco General Trading LLC. However, the two proposals will require a final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase to start the import by stretching prices.

The sale of some basic commodities by the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will try to target 1 crore (10 million) low-income families nationwide from March 20 ahead of Ramadan month, said Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Friday. TCB's products will be sold to these families in two phases, the minister told the reporters at a press conference organized by the TCB at the Export Development Bureau's conference room in Dhaka. Read: Now restaurants may have to run after TCB trucks! The sale in the first phase will start from March 20-30 and the second phase's sale from April 3-20. In order to facilitate the sale of TCB's products in a systematic manner, a list of these families has been compiled across the country and special family cards have been distributed, said the minister. Of these, 12 lakh families in Dhaka North and South City Corporation and 90,000 families in Barisal City Corporation could not be issued the family cards. And so, all of TCB's products will be sold to them through mobile trucks, he added.

The Commerce Ministry on Sunday warned of stern action against any irregularities arising in sales activities of state-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) across the country.

Police in a drive arrested three people for selling Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) goods in black market in Tongi Bazar area here on Sunday night.

The onion price remained unchanged at Tk 180-200 per kg at the retail market in the capital on Monday although it fell by Tk 30-40 at the wholesale market compared to Sunday’s one.

State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell onion at Tk 35 per kilogramme from tomorrow.