The government on Wednesday approved separate proposals for procuring some two cargoes of LNG and 1.30 lakh tonnes of fertiliser to meet the growing demand of the country.
The approval came at the 6th meeting of the Adviser's Council Committee on Government Procurement this year at the Cabinet Division Conference Room at Bangladesh Secretariat, reports BSS.
Finance and Commerce Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed presided over the meeting.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, the finance adviser said it is the prime goal of the government to ensure energy security. "For this we're importing LNG," he said.
In this regard, he said the day's meeting approved a good number of procurement proposals for importing LNG and fertiliser.
"The imported LNG will facilitate industrial operations as well as trade and commerce," he added.
As a result, Dr Salehuddin said there would be no crisis for conducting agricultural activities side by side. The procurement move aims at addressing the demand of energy and boosting the stockpile of fertiliser.
Answering a question, the finance adviser said the government is trying to minimise the crisis of energy and thus facilitating trade and commerce.
At the outset of the meeting, he said the government has taken all necessary measures for keeping the stockpile and supply of fertiliser at a satisfactory level so that the agricultural production is not hampered by any means.
Besides, he also directed the concerned ministry to ensure the supply of necessary essential items like lentils, onion, potatoes, sugar, and soybean oil in the market.
Cabinet Division officials said the day's meeting approved a total of seven proposals. Following two separate proposals from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, the government would procure one cargo LNG from the spot market from M/S Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd Singapore with around Tk 640.16 crore as per MMBtu LNG costs $13.57.
In another proposal, the government would procure one cargo LNG from M/S Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd Singapore with around Tk 649.59 crore where per MMBtu LNG would cost $13.77.
Both the two cargoes of LNG would be procured from the spot market among the Master Sale and Purchase Agreement (MSPA) signing companies and firms.
Besides, following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Industries, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) would procure 30,000 tonnes of bulk granular urea fertiliser from SABIC Agri Nutrients Company, Saudi Arabia under the 2nd lot with around Tk 124.68 crore as per tonne fertiliser costs $346.33.
The BCIC would procure another consignment of 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea fertiliser from KAFCO, Bangladesh under the 4th lot with around Tk 120.78 crore where per tonne fertiliser would cost $335.50.
Apart from these, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) following two separate proposals from the Ministry of Agriculture would procure 30,000 tonnes of TSP fertiliser from OCP, SA, Morocco under the 6th lot in line with state-level agreement with around Tk 149.40 crore as per tonne fertiliser costs $415.
The BADC would purchase another consignment of 40,000 tonne of DAP fertiliser from MA'ADEN, Saudi Arabia with around Tk 278.88 crore while with per ton fertiliser costs $581.
