Government to import 550,000 tons of rice to boost stock

The government has decided to import 550,000 tons of rice to give a boost to the country’s current food stock.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs gave its nod in principle to a proposal in this regard moved by the Ministry of Food reducing the tender submission tenure for this.

As per the proposal, the Directorate General of Food now can invite international tender giving 10 days’ time to submit tender for the supply of the bulk rice instead of the normal time of 42 days.

“The committee took the decision to facilitate the emergency import of rice,” said Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, who presided over the meeting.

Mustafa Kamal said the country has to go for the import considering the falling production of rice due to excessive rain and “monga” situation in the northern districts. 

Similar proposals were previously approved by the committee to import rice from India.

The committee also approved two more proposals in principle. One is signing a development agreement between Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (Bepza) to establish a Bepza Economic Zone at the Bangabandhu Industrial City of Mirsarai, Chittagong.

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Another proposal is to appoint private operators on public-private-partnership basis for the Patenga Container Terminal in Chittagong.

The private operators will be appointed under project tiled: “Equip, Operate and Maintenance of Patenga Container Terminal on PPP Model.”

Meanwhile, the Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase approved two separate proposals.

One proposal was moved by the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) for awarding Tk123.63 crore contract to Dockyard and Engineering Workshop of Bangladesh Navy under direct procurement method (DPM) for land development of BSCIC Chemical Industrial Park project.

The other proposal was to award Tk75.63 crore contract by Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) to Poly Cable Industries for the supply of 130km 11kV and 33kV underground cables for network expansion project in Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.