Govt to import 1.80 lakh tonnes fertiliser from 3 countries

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on Wednesday approved a proposal to import 1.80 lakh tonnes of fertiliser from Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Canada under separate agreements.

Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) and the agriculture ministry will purchase the fertilisers at a total cost of Tk 1293.17 crore, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Syed Mahbub Khan briefed journalists after the meeting. Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal virtually presided over the meeting.

Mahbub Khan said the committee approved eight proposals in total, including four from the industries ministry, two from agriculture ministry, one from Power Division and one from the Bridges Division.

Implementing the proposals will cost more than Tk 1,824.44 crore, of which Tk 1,256.59 crore will be borne by the Bangladesh government and Tk567.8542 crore will be taken as loan from domestic banks.

According to Mahbub Khan, the BCIC will import the fertiliser in separate lots, which include some 60,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea fertiliser from the SABIC Agri-nutrients Company of Saudi Arabia at a cost of Tk 378.56 crore. Also, 30,000 tonnes of urea fertiliser will be imported from Fertiglobe Distribution Ltd, UAE at a cost of Tk189.28 crore.

Besides, the BCIC will import 30,000 tonnes of phosphoric acid at Tk 215.14 crore for its DAP Fertiliser Company Limited from Sun International FZE in UAE.

The CCGP, in its 34th meeting of the year, also approved a proposal by the agriculture ministry to import 50,000 tonnes of MOP fertiliser from Canada at a cost of Tk 416.53 crore with per tonne price of $788.

Another proposal from the ministry to import 40,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from Saudi Arabia at a cost of Tk 308.78 crore with per tonne fertiliser costing $725.25 was approved as well.

Among other proposals, the CCGP okayed paying China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC), the service provider for the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel, in both Bangladeshi and US currency. 

As per the approval, 65 per cent or Tk 666.98 crore of the total payment to CCCC will be made in local currency and the remaining 35 per cent or Tk 326.83 crore in foreign currency (US dollar).

The CCGP also gave nod to a proposal of the Power Division to award Tk 102.61 crore to Ideal Electrical Enterprise Ltd for civil works under a project of the Bangladesh Power Development Board in Mymensingh.