The advisory committee has also approved the purchase of two LNG cargoes for February
Published : 16 Jan 2025, 11:58 PM
The government has approved two separate proposals to import 50,000 tonnes of rice each from India and Pakistan to increase food reserves.
The approvals were granted during a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Government Procurement on Thursday.
On the same day, the Advisory Committee on Economic Affairs also approved a proposal to import 300,000 tonnes of rice from the international market via an open tender process to address “national emergency needs.”
In addition to the food assistance programme, the government also sells rice at affordable prices through Trading Corporation of Bangladesh, or TCB, which has led to a decrease in rice stocks.
According to the food ministry's estimate on Thursday, the government has nearly 1.24 million tonnes of food stock, of which 840,000 tonnes is rice.
Until Jan 15 of the fiscal year 2024-25, 35,000 tonnes of rice was imported officially.
No rice was imported in 2024.
The government set a target of procuring 650,000 tonnes of rice during this Aman season, but progress has been slow.
The campaign, which began on Nov 17, is expected to end by Mar 10.
So far, 268,436 tonnes of parboiled rice and 46,606 tonnes of raw rice have been procured.
The agenda of Thursday's meeting revealed 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice worth about Tk 27.73 billion will be purchased from India's Gurudeo Exports Corporation.
The purchase of 50,000 tonnes of parboiled rice from Pakistan will cost nearly Tk 30.44 billion.
The meeting also passed a proposal to purchase two cargoes of liquified natural gas, or LNG, for February.
This year's LNG is being purchased from OQ Trading of the UAE for $14.44 per unit and from Singapore’s Vitol Asia at $13.82 per unit.
The proposal to purchase 10,000 tonnes of lentils at Tk 97.91 per kg, 5,000 tonnes of sugar from City Sugar Industries at Tk 117.90 per kg, and 10,000 tonnes of sugar from Meghna Sugar Mill at Tk 115.25 per kg for the commerce ministry was also approved.
Moreover, the committee approved the proposal to purchase 22 million litres of refined palm oil at Tk 162.95 per kg and 11 million litres of soybean oil at Tk 171.50 per kg from TK Group.