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The government has allowed the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) to procure 5.46 million tonnes of fuel oils next year as part of its moves to ensure their smooth supply in the country.
Bangladesh's annual fuel oil demand is nearly 6.5 million tonnes.
Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal headed the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs meeting on Wednesday that endorsed import of 1.6 million tonnes of crude oil and 3.86 million tonnes of refined fuel from overseas market.
The BPC will directly purchase 1.6 million tonnes of crude oil from Saudi ARAMCO of Saudi Arabia and ADNOC of Abu Dhabi in 2023.
Besides, the state-run entity will import 3.86 million tonnes of refined fuel oil on G-to-G basis through direct purchase method next year.
The BPC imported 0.79 million tonnes of crude oil and 2.79 million tonnes of refined oil during the first half (January-June) of the current year, official data showed.
Meanwhile, the economic affairs committee in the meeting also endorsed the "Chittagong Metropolitan Sewerage Project for Patenga Catchment" - to develop an environment-friendly sanitation system in Patenga, the southern part of Chittagong city and adjacent areas.
The Chittagong WASA will implement the project on public private partnership (PPP) initiative.
In a briefing, Cabinet Division Additional Secretary Rahat Anwar said three proposals were endorsed by the economic affairs committee, and six procurement proposals were approved by the purchase committee in the meetings on Wednesday.
He said the cabinet purchase committee approved procurement of 1.1 million tonnes of soybean oil from Meghna Edible Oil Refinery Limited at a cost of Tk 1.89 billion.
The state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will procure the cooking oil.
The purchase committee in the meeting also approved a proposal to buy 8,000 tonnes of lentils through the TCB. These will be purchased from three local companies at a cost of Tk 705.8 million.
Besides, procurement of 5.5 million tonnes of super palm oil through the TCB was approved in the meeting. The oil will be purchased from Super Well Refinery Limited at a cost of Tk 879.7 million.
The additional secretary said the purchase committee approved procurement of 50,000 tonnes of MoP fertiliser from Canadian Commercial Corporation at Tk 4.37 billion under state-level contract.
The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) will import the fertiliser.
The purchase committee also approved the BADC's proposal for importing 40,000 tonnes of DAP at Tk 3.02 billion from Morocco.
The National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) under the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education was also allowed to take services from 24 contractors for printing, binding and supplying 24,835,990 books at a cost of Tk 786.81 million.