Bangladesh
Bangladesh-Nepal Government okays purchase of 50,000 tons of fertilizer for export to Nepal
Dhaka, December 24: The Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement has approved Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) to purchase 50,000 tonnes of granular urea fertilizer from Karnafuli Fertilizer Company (Kafco) for export to Nepal at a cost of Tk 109.74 crore.
Finance Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal told reporters from Singapore, after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement chaired by him online on Wednesday (December 23).
After the meeting, the finance minister said five proposals have been raised for approval at the cabinet committee meeting on government procurement. There were two proposals from the local government department, one from the industry ministry, one from the housing and public works ministry and one from the secondary and higher education department. The total amount of money in 5 proposals is Tk 438,96,86,649 taka.
Meanwhile, the housing project proposal of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works in Comilla has been returned, because the duration of the project is only 4 to 5 months. Therefore, four proposals have been approved in this meeting. The total expenditure has been estimated at Tk 372,51,53,107.
The Finance Minister said a proposal to purchase 50,000 tonnes of granular urea from Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) Kafco under the Ministry of Industries has been approved to provide repayable loan assistance to the Government of Nepal. It will cost Tk 109,74,47,812.
Bangladesh meets its demand by importing fertilizers. Regarding the decision to export fertilizers to Nepal, the Finance Minister said, "We are supplying fertilizers to Nepal from Kafco. This is our first trade with our neighbors, especially Nepal. I think this will make our image better in the international arena. Can be imported and exported. Singapore also imports and exports. We did that too. '
After the meeting, Additional Secretary to the Cabinet Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal told a press conference through video conference, "The fertilizer is being given at a price of USD 257.37 per tonne for 40,000 tons of bulk and the remaining 10,000 tons of bagged at USD 262.37. It is being treated as a loan. The price has been set according to the bilateral agreement."
