Dhaka: The government will import 1.3 million tonnes of crude oil to meet the country’s demand for this year.

A meeting of the cabinet purchase committee, with Finance Minister AMA Muhith in the chair, gave a nod to a number of proposals placed by the Energy Division in this regard on Wednesday.

The government will need to spend $553.2 million, which is equivalent to Tk 4399 crore, for this purchase. The state-owned Eastern Refinery Limited will refine the bulk crude oil, before Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) market it across the country.

According to Energy Ministry officials, the bulk import of the crude will meet a part of the country’s annual petroleum demand of 5.5 million tonnes. The rest of requirement will be met through import of refined petroleum.

As per the proposals approved by the Cabinet body, some six lakh tonnes of crude oil will be imported from Middle-East based Abu Dhabi National Oil Company at a cost of $268.3 million (equivalent to about Tk 2,133 crore).

The remaining seven lakh tonnes of crude oil will be imported from Saudi Arabian Oil Company at a cost of $284.9 million (equivalent to about Tk 2,265 crore).

A further seven proposals of different ministries for purchasing different goods and services also received the nod of the cabinet body.

The Roads and Highways Division’s proposal to award contracts for road construction of Eitna-Mithamoin-Ostogram segment of the Kishoreganj Highway division to four contractors under separate packages received the nod of the committee.

Spectra Engineering Limited won the contract of package‑1 at a cost of Tk 134.8 crore while package‑2 was awarded to M/S Monico Limited at a contract value of Tk 154.26 crore. A joint venture of Spectra Engineers and MBEI won the contract of Package‑3 at a cost of Tk 111.56 crore while package-4 was won by joint venture of Spectra and RBPL at a cost of Tk 112.89 crore.

The Purchase Committee approved another proposal of Energy Division to appoint Engineers India Limited as management consultant for the Installation of Unit-2 of Eastern Refinery Limited project at a contract value of Tk 110.61 crore.

The committee gave nod to a proposal to procure consultancy services for the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry’s project Safety Net System for the Poorest (SNSP) at cost of Tk 26.72 crore

A firm SSIT won the contract which will provide consultancy service for strengthening of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief Programmes Administration.