The government is going for last day procurements through the cabinet committee on public purchase, with more than 20 proposals from different ministries and divisions involving over Tk15bn queued up for on Wednesday’s committee meeting.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in front of secretaries last month that there would be no major policy decisions after tomorrow.
As a result, a large number of proposals have already poured into the cabinet division for approval, especially in development projects, a senior official of the cabinet division told the Dhaka Tribune. The official also said at least 21 proposals would be placed on Wednesday at the purchase committee meeting presided over by Finance minister AMA Muhith.
The official said concerned authorities had told ministers and secretaries that their ministries and divisions should place any necessary new procurement proposal at on Wednesday’s meetings, without listing if necessary, since it was uncertain whether there would be any cabinet committee under an interim government.
When asked whether there would be a cabinet committee on public purchase and economic affairs under the all-party interim government that the prime minister had proposed, Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan told the Dhaka Tribune the prime minister would hold absolute power to give permission to a cabinet committee.
“There is nothing about having the two major cabinet committees under an interim government in our constitution,” he explained.
“Our constitution only allows the cabinet to hold cabinet committee meetings, presided over by the prime minister, under the sections 56(4) and 57(3),” the cabinet secretary said.
He also said the ministries and divisions had sent their purchase proposals after thorough examination and scrutiny.
The proposals to be placed before the purchase committee on Wednesday include bridges division’s bid to appoint a design consultant for the construction of Padma Bridge service area 2. Total cost of the project is estimated to be Tk2.08bn and bridge division has selected Abdul Monem Limited as design consultant.
Abdul Monem Limited was also selected as the consultant of Mawa approach road and selected bridge-end facilities of Padma Bridge with a cost of Tk1.93bn, which will also be placed at the cabinet committee on public purchase.
Another proposal, from the communication ministry, is to increase the cost of the Dhaka Chittagong four-lane road project from Tk90m to Tk320m.
A proposal by the food ministry to procure 50,000 tonnes of wheat with a cost of Tk1.17bn through Smile Food Products Ltd will be placed on Wednesday.
Energy division’s proposal of shallow water off-shore bidding contract on Block SS 1 will be placed at the cabinet committee on economic affairs for approval. Bangladesh has already signed a contract with Santos Sangu Field Ltd and KrisEnergy (Asia) Ltd and the bank guarantee for this project will be $15m.
Water resources ministry has also selected a consultant, the joint venture company Fichtner GmbH & Co KG (Germany), and North West Hydraulic Consultants Ltd (Canada), for its “Emergency 2007 Cyclone Recovery & Restoration Project” with a cost of Tk339.4m. The proposal will be placed on Wednesday at the cabinet committee on public purchase.
A proposal of construction of residential flats at Cox’s Bazar will be placed at cabinet committee on public purchase by the ministry of the housing and public works with a cost of Tk596.3m.
The ministry will also place a proposal of constructing of Election Resources Centres with a cost of Tk837.1m and the consultant firm will be TEAL-TBL Consortium.
Local government ministry’s proposal of Karnaphuli Water supply project will be placed on Wednesday at the cabinet committee on purchase. Consultant firm NJS Consultants Company Ltd has been selected for the project with a cost of Tk2.45bn.
Another proposal of the local government ministry titled “Water Network Analysis and Optimisation of Chittagong City Water Supply System” will also be placed at the cabinet committee on public purchase. Danish and Bangladesh Joint venture firm AQUA consultant and Association Ltd and Bangladesh Institute of Water Modelling Bangladesh have been awarded this contract.
ICT ministry’s proposal “Development of National ICT Infra-Network for Bangladesh Government Phase 11” will cost the government about Tk2.47bn, and it will be placed at cabinet committee on economic affairs. China Exim Bank will bear the majority of the cost, which totals Tk13.33bn.
Bridges division proposal of selecting the independent engineer for Dhaka Elevated Expressway under Private-Public Partnership will be placed at the cabinet committee on economic affairs.
