Indemnity-covered IPPs deals being reevaluated

Government move gets going for recasting the agreements signed on independent power plants during the Awami League regime under cover of a sort of indemnity law providing for unsolicited deals.

Finance Adviser of the current interim government Dr Salehuddin Ahmed Tuesday unveiled the move as the government approved a legal-assistance proposal.

"The agreements signed in the past regime have inconsistencies. We will review them," he said, while reports and court rulings mention overrated electricity purchase from and capacity charge to the companies from home and abroad.

Mr Ahmed was briefing newsmen after two separate meetings of Advisers' Council Committee on Economic Affairs and Advisers' Council Committee on Government Purchase at Bangladesh Secretariat.

He mentions that there was a directive from the High Court to review the agreements. "We need legal assistance to review the deal. In this regard, we have approved a proposal on the day."

The finance adviser notes that foreign companies are involved with the deals and so the review cannot be done one-sidedly.

He also said the meeting on Economic Affairs approved two separate proposals in principle for implementing the civil part and electromechanical part of construction of the 'July Mass Uprising Memorial Museum'.

The government residence of the deposed prime minister will be converted to the said museum to display various memories of the student uprising which took place in July-August 2024 and toppled the AL government.

"Work has already started and to complete the work by August 5 the Economic Affairs committee has approved buying the service under direct-purchase method," he said.

Some Tk 1.11 billion will be spent to complete the works, he said. The museum can be inaugurated on August 05-the first anniversary of the student-mass uprising.

Meantime, the Advisers' Council Committee on Government Purchase also approved on the day import of one-cargo liquefied natural gas from Qatar.

M/S Qatar LNG Trading LLC, Qatar will supply the LNG to Petrobangla at a total price of Tk 5.567 billion, with each MMBtu LNG costing $13.24, according to the meeting decision.

In another meeting, also chaired by the finance adviser, the government decided to import 400,000 tonnes of rice to supply among the people during the upcoming flood season.

The Food Planning and Monitoring Committee meeting made the decision.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Food Adviser Ali Imam Majumder said the government made the decision anticipating floods during the upcoming Aman season.

"We don't want to take any risks during the Aman season. Last time, we began preparation after the floods because the government had just been formed," he said. The adviser said the purchase will be done through floating international tender.

Mr Majumder said till November 2025, the stock of food, comprising both rice and wheat, will stand at 1.3 million tonnes.

He also informs that the government has already collected some 376,000 tonnes of Boro paddy against the target of 350,000 tonnes. The rice-collection target is 1.4 million tonnes, but until now, 950,000 tonnes have been collected.

Also, he said, from now on, some 5.5 million families will get 30 kilograms of rice per month at a price of Tk 15 per kg. The food-rationing programme will continue for six months during August- March period.

syful-islam@outlook.com