Purchase body okays import of 1.5 MT urea
The cabinet committee on purchase yesterday approved import of 1.5 lakh tonnes of urea fertiliser to meet its demand in the current Boro season.
A meeting of the committee held at the Secretariat with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair also okayed import of 13 lakh tonnes of crude oil for this year.
The industries ministry placed a proposal before the purchase committee and noted that the demand for urea fertiliser in the current fiscal year was set at 30 lakh tonnes. Of the amount, the requirement has been estimated at 12 lakh tonnes during the current Boro season (December '08 to March '09).
On January 19, the stock of fertiliser was five lakh tonnes. Fertiliser factories under the BCIC will supply the agri-input but it will not be enough for the season.
According to the proposal, urea production will be two lakh tonnes less than the estimated amount due to disruption in production at Ghorashal urea fertiliser factory. Urea production will be another one lakh tonne less because of low pressure of gas at Jamuna urea fertiliser factory and mechanical faults in Chittagong and other fertiliser factories.
Finance Minister Muhith told reporters that steps have been taken for quick import of fertiliser to meet the deficiency of the agri-input.
He said there would be no shortage of fertiliser in the country during the current Boro season. He said the country has adequate stock of fertiliser.
To meet the demand of 2009 calendar year, the purchase committee also approved import of 13 lakh tonnes of crude oil worth Tk 4520.76 crore or about $651.41 million from Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia.
The advance price of per barrel oil has been fixed at $64 for January-June period and $69.41 for July-December period.
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