Govt to procure 60,000 tonnes fertilizer, 10,000 tonnes lentil

The Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase on Wednesday approved separate proposals for procuring some 60,000 metric tons of fertilizer and 10,000 metric tons of lentil to meet the growing demand of the country.

The approval came from the 2nd meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase this year held today at the Cabinet Division conference room at Bangladesh Secretariat with Adviser to the interim government on the Ministries of Finance and Commerce Dr Salehuddin Ahmed in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, he said following a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure some 10,000 metric tons of lentil from M/S Sahara Enterprise, Dhaka under local Open Tender Method (OTM) with around Taka 98.20 crore where per kg lentil would cost Taka 98.20.

In response to two separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure some 30,000 metric tons of bulk granular urea fertilizer from Fertiglobe Distribution Limited, UAE under a state-level agreement under the 10th lot for the last fiscal year (FY24) with around Taka 121.48 crore with per ton fertilizer costing $343.17.

The BCIC will purchase another consignment of 30,000 metric tons of bagged granular urea fertilizer from KAFCO, Bangladesh under the 1st lot for the current fiscal year (FY25) with around Taka 116.99 crore where per ton fertilizer would cost $330.50.

Replying to a question, the Finance Adviser said that the current priorities of the government are to procure and ensure fertilizer and energy to the countrymen since those are very much essential.

He told another questioner that the government is trying to bring the consignments of fertilizer as soon as possible eying the Boro season.

The adviser also informed that the consignments of lentil would be brought to the country as early as possible.