Oct 25, 2024
| Staff Correspondent | TNA
The advisory committee on government purchase in an online meeting on Thursday approved two proposals for importing two cargoes of liquefied natural gas.
Of them, one will be done under direct purchase and the other under the quotation system, according to the finance ministry officials.
It was the first time the interim government, after its assumption of power following fall of the Awami League regime on August 5 amid a student-led mass uprising, gave an approval for purchasing LNG under the direct purchase.
Officials said that unwillingness of the companies enlisted by the past AL government to participate in the quotation-based purchase system forced the interim government to go for direct purchase.
Both the supply orders on the day have been awarded to M/S TotalEnergies Gas and Power Ltd, Switzerland.
Under the direct purchase, the price of each unit of LNG will be at $13.57 and $13.94 for the supply case deal done through the quotation.
Finance adviser Salehuddin Ahmed presided over the meeting virtually as he was now visiting the United States to attend the annual meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The committee also approved a proposal from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation to import 30,000 muriate of potash from JSC Foreign Economic Corporation ‘Prodintorg’ of Russia with per tonne costing $289.75.
The finance adviser also presided over a meeting of the advisory council on economic affairs and approved three proposals including the import of both crude and refined fuel oils for the calendar year 2025 under direct purchase.
Other proposals were linked to seeking approval for importing one cargo LNG under the direct purchase.