Government to buy Tk445.6cr worth of oil, lentils for TCB at subsidised prices

The government has approved the purchase of palm olein and lentils for sale at subsidised prices to one crore low-income families holding cards under the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB). The government will purchase 20 million litres of refined palm olein and 10,000 metric tonnes of lentils at a total cost of Tk445.60 crore.

The proposal was approved at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase held at the Secretariat on Wednesday (September 2), chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury. The committee approved the purchases based on a proposal from the Ministry of Commerce for TCB.

Under the approval, TCB will procure 20 million litres of refined palm olein through a local open tender. At Tk183.85 per litre, the purchase will cost Tk367.70 crore. Dhaka-based Shabnam Vegetable Oil Industries Limited, the lowest bidder, will supply the oil to TCB warehouses, including transportation costs.

For the 2026–27 fiscal year, TCB has set a target of procuring 220 million litres of edible oil. So far, 8.401802 million litres have already been purchased. The newly approved procurement of another 20 million litres of palm olein will further increase the agency’s stock.

The same meeting also approved a proposal to purchase 10,000 metric tonnes of lentils. The lentils will be procured through a local open tender at Tk77.90 per kilogram, at a total cost of Tk77.90 crore.

For the 2026–27 fiscal year, TCB has set a target of procuring 220,000 metric tonnes of lentils. It has already purchased 8,250 metric tonnes.

With the addition of the new consignments of oil and lentils, TCB’s stock of essential commodities will be further strengthened, enabling it to supply subsidised goods to one crore low-income cardholder families.