The government is buying 1 crore 25 lakh liters of soybean oil for the government organization Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB). It will cost about 205 crore rupees. TCB will sell this oil to common people at an affordable price.

The decision to buy soya bean oil for TCB was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Public Procurement on Wednesday. In addition to soybean oil, five thousand tons of lentils will be purchased for the company. The government will buy these products from local suppliers through direct purchase method. After the meeting, the additional secretary of the cabinet department, Abdul Barik, gave this information to the journalists.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal. When asked about the reason for buying oil and pulses through direct purchase method for TCB, the additional secretary of the cabinet department said that since these products will be sold to the common people through TCB, the government has decided to buy these products through direct purchase method. He said that TCB needs 2 million liters of soybean oil per month.

It was informed at the end of the meeting that it was decided to buy 1 crore 25 lakh liters of soybean oil against two purchase proposals. Against one of these proposals, 4 million liters of soybean oil will be purchased from Super Oil Refinery. The company will sell oil to the government at Tk 173.95 per liter. As against the remaining proposal, 85 lakh liters of oil will be procured from Bashundhara, Sunsingh Edible Oil and Sinha Edible Oil. These three companies will sell soybean oil to the government at Tk 171 per liter. Apart from this, the government will buy lentils from several local companies at Tk 111 per kg for TCB. It will cost 55 crore 50 lakh taka.

According to TCB sources, the organization is selling a maximum of two liters of soybean oil, two kg of lentils, one kg of sugar and two kg of onions to a card holder under the family card. Soybean oil is being sold at Tk 110 per liter, sugar at Tk 55 per kg, lentils at Tk 65 per kg and onion at Tk 20 per kg. However, onions are being sold only in the city corporation area and TCB regional office-affiliated districts.