PPR relaxed to facilitate quick fertiliser import
FE Report | Monday, 30 June 2008
The interim government has relaxed the existing Public Procurement Regulations (PPR) for one year to facilitate quick import of fertilisers, aiming to cope with the growing demand for the agricultural inputs in the upcoming 'Aman' cropping season.
The council of advisers on economic affairs gave its nod to a proposal on relaxation of the PPR for fertiliser imports at its meeting held at the Planning Ministry with the finance and planning adviser Mirza Azizul Islam in the chair.
With the relaxation, the authorities will be able to complete the tender procedures for import of fertiliser within 30 days instead of the previous requirement of 42 days, the finance adviser informed the newsmen after the meeting.
Besides, the relaxation will also allow the authorities concerned to complete the processing of re-tenders within 14 days instead of 28 days stipulated in the PPR, he noted.
"We have relaxed the PPR for a year in order to reduce the time required for the completion of both the tender and re-tender procedures, considering the current price instability of fertilisers in the global market," he said.
The cabinet meeting on economic affairs also gave its approval to the proposals on imports of some other non-urea fertilisers from various countries through government-government deals.
The meeting was informed that the agriculture adviser CS Karim had already held talks with his counterparts from Morocco, Ukraine and Uzbekistan on importing non-urea fertilisers during his recent visit to Italy for attending an international conference there.
"We have received very positive response from those countries, from where Bangladesh normally import fertilisers," Dr. Aziz mentioned.
About the forecast on a fertiliser crisis by the experts, the adviser said such concern was mainly because of the surging prices in the international market.
The government will take necessary steps to ensure smooth supply of fertilisers at the farmers' levels, he said.
According to official sources, the government has fixed the target of importing 1.15 million tonnes of urea for the fiscal year 2008-09 to meet the country's total urea requirement of 2.85 million tonnes.
The council of advisers on economic affairs gave its nod to a proposal on relaxation of the PPR for fertiliser imports at its meeting held at the Planning Ministry with the finance and planning adviser Mirza Azizul Islam in the chair.
With the relaxation, the authorities will be able to complete the tender procedures for import of fertiliser within 30 days instead of the previous requirement of 42 days, the finance adviser informed the newsmen after the meeting.
Besides, the relaxation will also allow the authorities concerned to complete the processing of re-tenders within 14 days instead of 28 days stipulated in the PPR, he noted.
"We have relaxed the PPR for a year in order to reduce the time required for the completion of both the tender and re-tender procedures, considering the current price instability of fertilisers in the global market," he said.
The cabinet meeting on economic affairs also gave its approval to the proposals on imports of some other non-urea fertilisers from various countries through government-government deals.
The meeting was informed that the agriculture adviser CS Karim had already held talks with his counterparts from Morocco, Ukraine and Uzbekistan on importing non-urea fertilisers during his recent visit to Italy for attending an international conference there.
"We have received very positive response from those countries, from where Bangladesh normally import fertilisers," Dr. Aziz mentioned.
About the forecast on a fertiliser crisis by the experts, the adviser said such concern was mainly because of the surging prices in the international market.
The government will take necessary steps to ensure smooth supply of fertilisers at the farmers' levels, he said.
According to official sources, the government has fixed the target of importing 1.15 million tonnes of urea for the fiscal year 2008-09 to meet the country's total urea requirement of 2.85 million tonnes.