No immediate plan to raise gas prices: Finance adviser

The government has no immediate plan to raise the gas prices as such a move could affect businesses, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed has said.

"We have to plant to enhance gas prices at this moment. Rather, we are considering maintaining smooth supply and better pressure of the natural gas in the system for the consumers," he said.

The finance adviser made the observation in response to a question from the media after the meetings of the "Advisory Council on Government Purchase" and "Advisory Council of Economic Affairs on Tuesday. The Finance Adviser chaired the meetings, which were held at the Secretariat.

In its meeting, the Advisory Council on Government Purchase approved, among others, the proposal for buying three LNG cargoes from the sport markets at the cost of Tk 14.42 billion.

The price of LNG has been fixed at US$11.34 to $11.54 per MMBTU, the finance adviser told news men after the meeting.

Along with the LNG cargoes, the purchase committee gave its nod to some 14 procurement proposals, including purchase of fertiliser and publishing of textbooks.

According to the proposals, the United Kingdom (UK)'s M/S TotalEnergies Gas & Power Ltd. would supply one LNG cargo at the rate of $11.44 per MMBTU, one cargo at $11.34 per MMBTU and another one at the rate of $11.54 per MMBTU to Bangladesh.

The purchase committee also approved three separate proposals for publishing 118.92 million copies of textbooks for classes 6, 7 and 8 at a total cost of Tk 6.03 billion.

The committee also gave its nod to eight separate proposals for purchasing fertilisers from different countries and sources at a total cost of Tk 15.35 billion.

On the other hand, the Advisory Council of Economic Affairs endorsed a proposal for selling lands of the state-run Latif Bawani Jute Mills at Demra in Dhaka to Bangladesh Police at a latest 'mouza' rate. Although three other proposals were submitted before the meeting, the line ministries later withdrew them.

The Youth and Sports Ministry had withdrawn its two proposals regarding 'Youth Festival' from the Economic Affairs Committee while the Bangladesh Railway (BR) pulled out its proposal for upgradation of the BR hospital through PPP model.