Cabinet committee approves soybean oil, LNG procurement

Major purchases also involve power projects and government infrastructure

FE REPORT | Published: May 07, 2026 23:19:15

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on Thursday approved a number of proposals, including the procurement of liquefied natural gas (LNG), refined soybean oil and the construction of an administrative building in the capital.
The committee approved the proposals at a meeting held at the Bangladesh Secretariat, with Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury in the chair.
Under one of the approvals, three cargoes of LNG will be purchased from the international spot market from three Singapore-based suppliers -- Vitol Asia Pte Ltd, BP Singapore Pte Ltd and Gunvor Singapore Pte Ltd.
The procurement will cost the exchequer Tk 21.86 billion, according to a Cabinet Division document.
The meeting also approved a proposal to procure 20 million litres of refined soybean oil through the international open tender method.
PT Trinity Cahya Energy of Jakarta, Indonesia, will supply the oil at a total cost of Tk 2.82 billion. The oil will be sourced from European countries as specified in the tender document.
In addition, the meeting approved three modernisation projects under the Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB), involving the design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of new 33/11 KV AIS substations, along with related land development work.
The committee also approved proposals for revised levelised tariffs for two major power plants operated by the North-West Power Generation Company Limited (NWPGCL).
Under another approval, the Rapid Action Battalion was given the go-ahead to purchase 163 vehicles from Pragati Industries Ltd at a total cost of Tk 1.22 billion.
The meeting also approved a proposal for the construction of a 12-storey building in the Sher-e-Bangla Nagar administrative area at a cost of Tk 1.08 billion.
Earlier in the day, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved in principle the draft "Bangladesh Offshore Model Production Sharing Contract (PSC) 2026" and partially approved a proposal related to power sector subsidies.
The meeting was also chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.
The Power Division had proposed bringing state-run power plants, joint ventures, Adani Power Jharkhand and electricity imports from India and Nepal under subsidy arrangements to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in the country.
The committee gave partial approval to the proposal in principle.
syful-islam@outlook.com