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The Daily Star, 25 July 2008
The food ministry can import food grains on an emergency basis without amending the Public Procurement Regulations (PPR) 2008 to tackle the upswing in food prices. The Economic Affairs Committee in a meeting with Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam in the chair yesterday gave the opinion as the ministry sought amendment to clause 83 (1) of the PPR for urgent import of food grains before the holy Ramadan.
Sources said the food ministry has requested the Economic Affairs Committee to reduce the time to 15 days from 42 days for floating tender to import food grains while from 28 days to 10 days for re-tender. But the high-powered committee gave the food ministry a clean chit, saying that under the clause 85 of the PPR 2008 the ministry could import food to meet emergencies without going through tender process.
The committee also decided to rethink the resumption of operation of Chittagong Chemical Mills Ltd, North Bengal Paper Mills Ltd and Khulna Newsprint Mills after getting back the three industrial units from the Privatisation Commission.
MARKET MONITORING
The army-led joint forces, Rab, BDR, police and civil administration will keep watch on markets during Ramadan, so that the traders cannot make large profits by charging high prices for goods. The decision was taken in a meeting of an inter-ministerial monitoring committee at the commerce ministry yesterday.
Chaired by Additional Secretary of the ministry Golam Mostakim, the meeting reviewed the import, supply, stock and overall price situation of essentials. The meeting urged TCB, BDR and Food Department to take all-out steps so that the supply of essentials is not disrupted during Ramadan.
It asked the state-run TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) to complete the import of 3000 tonnes of pulses, 3000 tonnes of edible oil and 500 tonnes of onion before Ramadan. The meeting decided to make a request to the Fisheries and Livestock Department and the Cooperatives Department to go on selling fish and enhance the production and supply of Milk Vita products during the holy month.
It also requested the Agriculture Marketing and Department of Agriculture Extension to boost production of cucumber, brinjal and green chilli for meeting its increased demand during the month.
