The government has approved four procurement proposals worth Tk812.31 crore to procure lentils and edible oil for distribution among low-income households through the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB).
The approval came at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase held at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury presided over the meeting.
In the meeting, the cabinet committee approved a commerce ministry proposal to purchase 10,000 tonnes of lentils through a local open tender. The lentils will be procured from Payel Automatic Food Processing Mills in Chattogram at Tk81.47 per kilogramme, involving a total cost of Tk81.47 crore.
Five local firms submitted bids for the supply, all of which were found technically responsive, before the lowest bidder was selected.
Under another proposal from the commerce ministry, the committee approved the import of 12,500 tonnes of lentils through an international open tender. Australia-based MCG International Pty Ltd will supply the commodity, sourced from Tanzania, Malawi, or Australia, at $559 per tonne. The total procurement cost will stand at Tk85.77 crore, bringing the per-kg price to Tk74.86, including delivery costs to TCB warehouses.
According to TCB data, the procurement target for lentils for the 2025-26 financial year has been set at 2.30 lakh tonnes, of which 1.44 lakh tonnes have already been purchased.
The purchase committee also approved a proposal to procure two crore litres of refined palm olein oil from Dhaka-based Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries Limited through a local open tender to cater to one crore low-income families. The procurement will cost Tk367.90 crore, with each litre priced at Tk183.95 including transportation to TCB depots.
Besides, another proposal was approved to import two crore litres of refined soybean oil through an international open tender. MCG International Pty Ltd of Australia will supply the oil, sourced from Tanzania, at a total cost of Tk277.16 crore. The price per litre will stand at Tk164.77, including transportation costs.
The state-run trading agency has set a target to buy 23 crore litres of edible oil for the 2025-26 fiscal year, and has so far procured over 14 crore litres of palm olein and soybean oil.
