Govt to buy 85,000 laptops from TSSL, Walton

The government will buy 85,000 laptops and other ICT items for 5,000 schools across the country from the state-owned Telephone Shilpa Sangstha Limited (TSSL) and local electronic giant Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd.

The cabinet committee on public purchase approved the procurement under Sheikh Russel Digital Lab (phase-II) project, said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal after the meeting on Thursday.

The ICT ministry put the proposal before the committee for approval. Apart from laptops, as many as 5,000 web cameras, 5,000 routers, and 5,000 network switches will be bought under the project.

Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd will supply the laptops and other items worth Tk 400 crore and the TSSL will supply the items worth Tk 87.20 crore, according to Dr. Shahida Akter, additional secretary to the cabinet division.

CEO of Computer Project Walton Digi-Tech Industries Ltd Engineer Md Liakat Ali said, "Walton manufactures 10-generation and Core-i computers in its own factories."

He also said the price of a new generation computer ranges between Tk53,000 and Tk57,000.

Price of a new generation computer is Tk60,000 in the market, so the government will save Tk100 crore, the CEO also said.

“The government will save extra money as those computers will be brought from local industry which will also save foreign exchanges,” he said.