Home ›› 24 Mar 2023 ›› Front
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved a proposal for Petrobangla to import a cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) containing 33.60 lakh MMBtu at $13.69 per unit against the previous price of $14.66.
The state-owned agency will spend a total of Tk 578.65 crore to import the LNG cargo from Excelerate Energy LP of the United States, according to the proposal placed by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division at a CCGP meeting on Thursday.
Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan disclosed the information while virtually briefing journalists after the meeting.
The price of LNG has dropped in the international market at a time the government looks to reduce a domestic gas crisis by importing LNG from the open market. As a result, the state -owned Petrobangla is becoming more confident in keeping a steady supply of LNG till next June.
After an eight-month break, the government resumed LNG import from the spot market last month. The government brought the first batch of LNG at a price of $20 per unit. The price has continued to fall further since.
The government decided to halt LNG imports from the international market last year after the price surged to over $56 per unit.
Speaking to journalists at a programme on Thursday, Petrobangla Chairman Zanendra Nath Sarakar said, “We have received the green signal from the government to purchase 12 cargo LNG from the open market by next June. If necessary, the agency plans to buy up to four LNG cargoes a month to reach that goal.”
The state-owned agency wants to ensure a steady supply of 3,000 MMCFDs of gas a day.
Meanwhile, the CCGP meeting on Thursday, presided over by Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, approved a total of seven proposals, which includes importing fertiliser and lentils.
The meeting has approved a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture allowing Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) to procure some 40,000 tonnes of DAP fertiliser from Morocco under state-level agreement with around Tk 262.13 crore. Per tonne fertiliser would cost $610 under the agreement, against the previous price of $710.
The CCGP also nodded to another proposal from the Ministry of Industries for Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to procure some 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular fertiliser under the 14th lot from KAFCO, Bangladesh at a cost of Tk 105.43 crore. Per tonne fertiliser will cost $327.62, down from the previous price of $330.62.
Besides, a proposal of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, placed by the Commerce Ministry, received the nod of the committee to import 8,000 metric tons of lentil at a cost of Tk 72.91 crore from India. Uma Expo Pvt Ltd will supply the lentil at Tk 91 per kg.
The CCGP also nodded to a proposal for National Board of Revenue (NBR) to procure a Software Solution and Automated Risk Management System from Webb Fontaine Group Fz-LLC, Dubai, UAE, at a cost of Tk 217.99 crore to implement a project titled: Bangladesh Regional Communication Project-1 under the Implementation of National Single Window and Customs Modernization and Strengthening Project.
Implementing the seven proposals approved by the CCGP yesterday will cost a total of Tk 1,296.76 crore, of which, Tk 711.20 crore will come from government funds and Tk 585.55 crore will be taken as loans from local banks, ADB and the World Bank.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved in principle a proposal of the Shipping Ministry to implement a project “Employment of International Quality Private Operators for the Management and Maintenance of New Mooring Container Terminal and Overflow Container Yard of Chittagong Port” under the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
The Chittagong Port Authority will implement the project as per Procurement Guidelines for PPP Project, 2018.
