The government will import 3.36 million MMBtu of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Japan to meet the growing demand.
The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved the proposal to import LNG at its meeting held on Wednesday virtually with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the chair.
Briefing reporters after the meeting virtually, Cabinet Division additional secretary Sayeed Mahbub Khan informed that the day's CCGP meeting approved a total of six proposals.
He informed that following a proposal from the Energy and Mineral Resources Division, Petrobangla would procure some 1 cargo or 3.36 million MMBtu LNG from the spot market at a cost of around Tk 690.42 crore where per MMBtu LNG would cost $16.5. Japanese company M/S Jera Company Inc, which is among the signatories of the Master Sale and Purchase Agreement, would supply this LNG.
He said following separate proposals from the Ministry of Commerce, the state-run Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) would procure some 1.10 crore litres of soybean oil from City Edible Oil Ltd with around Tk 191.96 crore where per litre oil would cost Tk 174.5 against the previous per litre price of Tk 176.88.
Mahbub informed that the TCB would also procure some 8,000 metric tons of lentil from a Turkish company with around Tk 73.44 crore where per ton lentil would cost $158.
Besides, the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) under the Ministry of Industries would procure some 20,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid for DAP Fertilizer Company Ltd, Chattogram with around Tk 119.50 crore. M/S Sun International FZE, UAE would supply this consignment with per ton costing $559.5 down from the previous price of $688.5.
The BCIC would also procure some 25,000 metric tons of rock phosphate for the TSP Complex Limited, Chattogram with around Tk 88.06 crore. M/S Agro Industrial Input, Dhaka would supply such a quantity of rock phosphate where per ton would cost $329.85 down from the previous price of $334.
Apart from these, the Cabinet Division additional secretary informed that the work on constructing a 730-meter long bridge over River Khoirabad under Nalchity upazila in Jhalokati district has been awarded to the joint venture of MM Builders Engineers Ltd and M/S Podder Enterprise with around Tk 123.09 crore. The bridge will be constructed under the project for constructing important bridges on rural roads.