Cabinet body okays wheat import from Ukraine

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved in principle Sunday for importing 0.25 million tonnes of wheat from Ukraine under the government-to-government (G-to-G) basis.
It also gave nod to implement the project for construction of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) bottling plant at Kumira or any other suitable place in Chittagong having jetty, pipeline and storage tank facilities.
Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith presided over the meeting. Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain and Railway Minister Mozibul Haque among others, were present.  
 "The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved in principle for importing 0.25 millions tonnes of wheat from Ukraine. The import will be through government to government (G-to-G) basis," Mostafizur Rahman, joint secretary of the Cabinet Division told the media after the ninth meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs at Bangladesh Secretariat on the day.
Earlier the Ministry of Food (MoF) had placed a proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for approval to import wheat from Ukraine.
The official said per tonne of wheat would cost US$297.50 including shipment, insurance and other costs.
The MoF annually procures food grains from local sources as well as import them to ensure food security in the country.
Food Minister Quamrul Islam visited Ukraine from August 31 to September 3. He held meetings with the Ukrainian Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Ministry.
A Ukraine government delegation visited the country on September 15 and held meetings with the Director General (DG) of Food on September 17 and 18 and signed Agreed Minutes of the Meeting (AMM).
As per the AMM, the duration for completing shipment will be 150 days from the date of signing the agreement.
The first shipment of wheat will commence within 60 days of signing of the agreement. The consignment will arrive at Chittagong and Mongla ports.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Ukraine, the country has so far imported 0.312 million tonnes of wheat. Besides 33,000 tonnes of food grains are now waiting at Chittagong port for release.
The average annual production of wheat in the country is 1.0 million tonnes against the total demand of 3.5 million tonnes.
Earlier the 18th meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Purchase, which was also presided over by the Finance Minister, approved proposals for importing 0.1 million tonnes of urea fertilizer, to appoint consultant to "International Consultancy Services to assist and develop all fields of Regulatory Affairs of CAAB outlined in the Project Document CAAB MP-2100", import fuel from PB Trading Sendirian Berhad of Brunei, procurement of 200 metre gauge and 100 broad gauge passengers  carriages under third PFR of Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Railway Sector Investment Programme, appointment of technical consultant for Chittagong Water Supply Improvement and Sanitation project and extension work and time of Dhaka Water Supply Sector Development Project.
It asked the Power Division to put the purchase proposal again after completing necessary scrutiny for installing dual fuel system of Sikalbaha 150 megawatt (MW) Peaking Power Plant and Governance Improvement and Capacity Development (GICD) Consultancy Services under the project of Northern Bangladesh Integrated Development to the Local Government Division.    

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