The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

After facing a long hurdle on importing rice from India through private channel the government yesterday adopted a proposal on direct import of 5 lakh tones of rice from India under a state-to-state agreement.

As per the proposal, approved by the Advisers Committee on Public

Purchase, this bulk import would take place without any tendering process as there is an agreement signed between the two governments to this effect, officials said.

Earlier, in view of the urgency of dealing with an unmanageable domestic food market, the Advisers Committee on Economic Affairs has given waiver to the proposal so that it would not need to follow any tendering process for such public purchase.

New Delhi had promised Dhaka to allow the import of 5 lakh tones of rice under the crash course, notwithstanding a recent ban on rice export from India.

Average purchase rate of the rice from the neighbouring country has been fixed at US$ 399 per metric ton and the rice will reach the country within 75 days in phases.

However, the import will take place through separate transport modes--sea, river, road and railway-and also separate rates set for the rice on the basis of its transport arrangement.

A 1.25-lakh-ton consignment will come through each of the transport ways. For the seaway transport, the price was fixed at US$ 414 per ton. For the river transport, the price was fixed at US$ 400 per ton while for the railway transport, the rate fixed at US$ 388 per ton and for land-road transport, the price was set at US$ 394 per ton.

Clarifying the arrangements, Finance Adviser Dr Mirza Azizul Islam, who chaired the purchase-committee meeting, told reporters that in order to save time, four modes of transportation were chosen for quick import.

As part of the steps for cooling the overheated market, the purchase committee also approved two other proposals for rice import through international and local tenders.

As per the proposals, 25,000 metric tons of non-bashmati rice will be imported through international tender at a rate of US$ 402 per ton while 42,000 metric tons of similar verity will be procured from local suppliers at prices between Tk 28,490 and Tk 29,790 per ton.

The committee approved another two proposals placed by the Industries Ministry for importing a total of 20,000 metric tons of phosphoric acid for two BCIC fertiliser factories in Chittagong.

Another proposal of the Industries Ministry for establishing an effluent-treatment plant at the proposed Saver Leather Industrial Complex was sent back for further review.

Following the Purchase Committee's meeting, the Advisers Committee on Economic Affairs gave a waiver to a proposal of the Energy Ministry for the import of 390,000 metric tons of refined petroleum from the United

Arab Emirates (UAE) without any tender.

This import of fuel will also take place under a state-to-state agreement.