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The government is actively considering providing dearness allowance to the public servants, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed said Tuesday.
"We have formed a committee in this regard. After working out the matter, they will submit a recommendation to me," he said.
The adviser was briefing newsmen after two separate meetings of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs and the Advisers Council Committee on Government Purchase at Bangladesh Secretariat.
He said chance is enough for them to get dearness allowance. "I will workout it in the budget."
Mr Ahmed, however, did not disclose the percentage of the DA to be given to the public servants.
Sources said a meeting was held on Tuesday with Finance Secretary Dr Khairuzzaman Mozumder in the chair at his office at the ministry of finance to determine the percentage of DA.
But the meeting could not fix the rate yet, sources said.
However, a Finance Division official told the FE that the DA rate could be highest 20 per cent and lowest 10 per cent for public servants working in different grades.
Those who are getting low salary will be given 20 per cent DA while highly paid officials will get 10 per cent.
The meeting on Economic Affairs, chaired by the finance adviser, approved a proposal in principle for procurement of wheat on a government-to-government basis and lowering the timeframe of procurement process of wheat through international tender.
On the other hand, the meeting on Government Purchase, approved a number of proposals for procurement of fertilisers and liquefied natural gas (LNG), among others.
Under an approval, Singapore-based M/s Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd will supply a cargo of LNG to Petrobangla at a cost of Tk 5.86 billion.
The committee also approved a proposal to import 40,000 tonnes of DAP (Di Ammonium Phosphate) fertiliser from Morocco at a cost of Tk 3.24 billion. The OCP Nutricrops, Morocco will supply the fertiliser to Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) at $665 each tonne.
Moreover, the ministry of industries has been given a go-ahead to import 30,000 tonnes of bagged granular urea fertiliser from KAFCO at a total price of Tk 1.52 billion. Each tonne of fertiliser will cost $417.25 in this procurement.
syful-islam@outlook.com