Govt to buy 200 pickups for police

The government approved the purchase of 200 double-cabin pickups for the police and the import of 1.3 million tonnes of refined petroleum products to meet fuel demand in the second half of the year.

The decisions were made yesterday at a meeting of the Government Procurement Advisory Committee, chaired by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.

All 200 pickups will be procured directly from Pragati Industries, a local manufacturer, at a cost of Tk 172 crore. The vehicles will be used for operational purposes by the police. The committee also approved the import of 1.275 million tonnes of refined fuel at an estimated cost of Tk 9,139 crore, or about $749 million.

PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Vitol Asia Pte Ltd of Singapore, and Sinochem International Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd were recommended as the importers.

Following the meeting, the finance adviser said public opinions on the proposed national budget will be sought after the Eid holidays, with discussions to continue until June 19.

The advisory council is scheduled to approve the budget on June 22.