Govt to import another 3 lakh tonnes of diesel, EPI vaccines

The government will import another three lakh tonnes of fuel oil to tackle the energy crisis, which has prompted authorities to adopt austerity measures in recent days amid geopolitical instability arising from the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Besides, authorities will import vaccines for the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), under which the government provides free, essential vaccines against 10-14 major diseases, including measles, amid a deadly outbreak of the infectious disease across the country.

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the proposals at its ninth meeting today, according to an official briefing.

It approved three separate diesel import proposals, each for one lakh tonnes, by the Energy and Mineral Resources Division.

The procurements will be made through direct international procurement, bypassing the standard competitive tender process.

Of the total amount, one lakh tonnes of EN590-10 PPM diesel – a high-grade, ultra-low sulphur diesel widely used in transport and industry – will be imported from YAR Energy AG, a natural resources trading firm based in Zug, Switzerland.

Another one lakh tonnes of 10-50 PPM diesel – a low-sulphur fuel used in industrial machinery, generators, transport – will be sourced from K&R International Trading Company, and a further one lakh tonnes of EN590-10 PPM diesel from M/S Sikder International.

The meeting also approved a Health Services Division proposal to procure EPI vaccines through UNICEF under direct procurement to ensure supply of the essential vaccines in the ongoing fiscal year.

The CCEA also gave in-principal approval for two separate private-public partnership projects proposed by the Bridges Division.

One of the proposals is for constructing a bridge over the Meghna river on Shariatpur-Chandpur road.

Another is for construction of Bhola Bridge on Barishal-Bhola road over the Kalabador and Tetulia rivers.